The Beginning of Forever
by Sassyvampmama
Summary: Sequel to The Sheriff's Plan. Can a 1000 year old vampire change enough to woo and win the girl he loves? After Eric's plan to steal Sookie fails, he needs to prove his love to her. Slightly OOC, Rated M for Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

If you have not read_**The Sheriff's Plan**_**, **please read that first as this is a continuation of that story.

_**Caution: **_Do not read this if you have any problems with graphic sexual situations or incredibly sexy manipulative 1000 year old Viking vampires who always get their way! You have been warned.

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Eric POV **

For the first time since I became a vampire, I find myself in an unprecedented situation; I am awake and the sun has not yet set. I can feel that there are only seconds before it finally dips below the horizon, but I should not have awakened until the sun has fully set. I can only assume that it is due to the excitement that I will be seeing Sookie in just a few short hours, and that I will finally be able to start the rest of my life. Never in all of my time on this earth have I been so excited by anyone the way that she excites me. I feel like I am alive for the first time in over 1000 years.

I swear I can hear my heart beating, feel the warmth of blood once again being pumped throughout my body, and I decide to breathe in for the first time in centuries. I feel my chest expand, but the feeling is so unnatural to me that I quickly push the air back out. I am instantly hit by a wave of regret. I will never know how it would feel to be human with Sookie. I will never be able to give her a normal life, but I will spend eternity making that up to her if she will let me.

The last four months have shown me what it is like to have had the sun and lost it all over again. I never want to be without her again, and I won't be if I have anything to say about it. Sookie _is_ my sun, everything about her screams out that she is alive, even her colors mimic the sunshine. Her golden hair reminds me of wind whispering through the wheat fields of my homeland, her eyes are the clear blue of a beautiful Swedish morning, and her lips; ah, her lips are the red of the ripest summer berries and just as luscious. I can remember so much of the life I once had when I am around her. My only regret concerning Sookie is that I will never have the chance to walk along side her in the sunlight, holding hands, while our children frolic beside us.

Finally, I can feel the sun has set, and I walk to the panel beside the locked door and punch in the code that will release me from my resting place. I walk up a short flight of stairs and enter my closet through a secret door in the back wall, hidden behind a movable clothing rack. I push the door back into place, effectively protecting my daytime spot from even my closest household staff. Only Pam knows where I sleep each day, but I hope to share my secret with Sookie soon.

During the time we were apart, I hired a small construction crew to expand it for me, putting in an air circulation system and a bathroom; all so that Sookie will be able to sleep beside me during the day should she choose to do so. Hiring outsiders is always a risk for a vampire, though I glamoured each of the workers after they were finished, along with removing all traces of permits and receipts for payments. I know it will all be worth it the first time I wake with her in my arms.

I find myself fidgeting, something I have not done in many years. I am excited, and I can hardly wait for our date tonight. I haven't had to woo and win a woman for so long; I am unsure exactly what is expected of any man in this day and age. I have a feeling that I will need to talk to Pam about it. She reads Dear Abby every evening faithfully, not to mention all the dates she goes on, so hopefully she can give me some advice. I just hate how smug she'll be when I ask her help. She will definitely get a kick out of my predicament.

***0*0*0*0***

I open my office door, making up my mind to ask Pam for some sage advice.

"Pam, would you step in here for a moment?" I call out to her.

"Give me a second to rid myself of the vermin hanging on me." She responds immediately.

I walk back to the chair behind my desk, but I am too nervous to sit for any amount of time. Before I can decide whether or not to attempt to sit down, Pam enters my office.

"Please shut the door, I don't want others to hear this conversation." I know that I do not need to add that I will expect her to keep her mouth closed.

"As you command, Master," she says sarcastically as she pulls the door shut behind her.

I decide to jump right in and tell her what I need from her, instead of dodging around, trying to avoid any embarrassment on my part. Better to go all in and get it over with now.

"Pam, I need some dating advice. I have a date with Sookie tonight, and I haven't dated a woman in centuries. Something tells me that what worked on Esmeralda back in Spain in the 1300's won't exactly impress Sookie, so… What is it that a modern woman expects on a first date?" Pam's eyes light up and a smile makes its way to her lips. I am happy that she seems excited at the prospect of helping me. I was sure that I would have to deal with her smug attitude, and I didn't want anything to bring me down from the high I am currently enjoying.

"Well, according to Dear Abby, today's women need to know that they are appreciated for more than just their looks. She says that they will appreciate a man who is willing to take the time to woo them. A man should be willing to let the woman set the pace in a relationship. Flowers are always nice when you arrive to pick her up," she says to me, following her Dear Abby advice up with a question of her own, "You are picking her up, aren't you Eric?"

"We had planned on her meeting me here and spending the evening together," I state, starting to worry that I had already made my first mistake.

"What time is she supposed to be here?"

"Sometime around 9:00."

"Good, then you still have time to get to her before she leaves. If you hurry, you can stop by the florist and get her a pretty bouquet." She starts to push me out the door, but stops as she looks at my clothing.

"Is that what you're planning to wear?" She sneers, curling her lip up at me.

"Yeah, what's wrong with it? It's what I always wear to work." I'm wearing a pair of tight fitting, dark washed, ripped jeans and a somewhat tight black

Fangtasia T-shirt, and black leather motorcycle boots.

"Exactly Eric, it's what you wear to work, not on the first date with your future mate."

Before I can say anything else, she darts into the light tight room I keep here and returns with another set of clothes. She propels them into my hands and tells me to change, then roughly shoves me into the bathroom. I shut the door and begin to change, frowning at the pair of boxers she handed me. I hate wearing underwear, but just as I'm thinking this, Pam yells at me to hurry up. I toss the boxers on the floor, and quickly change.

The outfit she had me change into consists of a pair of faded boot leg jeans that hug my ass just enough to tempt someone to touch it – hopefully Sookie - and a crisp, white, long sleeve, button down shirt. I leave the top three buttons undone, adding my own touch to the outfit. I quickly brush my hair and slide my belt through the belt loops, then sit down to pull my boots back on.

When I walk out of the bathroom, Pam holds up her hand, silently demanding that I stop. As I stand still in the middle of my office, she walks around me once, checking to make sure that I dressed myself correctly.

"You know Pam; I have done this a time or two. I do dress each night to highlight my attributes for the vermin, and I manage to do so without your help," I state.

"Yes, Eric, I know that. However, this will be the first time Sookie sees you in a 'romantic' role, so you want to look your very best," she answers me, still looking at me like she is mentally checking things off a list in her head. "Now all you need to do is stop by the florist and pick her up a bouquet. Oh! And you should get her a box of chocolate too! I see that in movies all the time. I even had one guy bring me some once. Stupid humans."

"Okay, so I need flowers and chocolates. Any special kind? If I need to get these things and get to Sookie's house before she leaves, I need to leave now. Anything else you can think of?" I ask her.

"Roses are totally overdone, but a nice mixed bouquet will work just fine. Or if you absolutely have to do roses, get her some that are yellow with red tips. They signify friendship that is turning into love. Other than that, just be nice to her, but not too nice, you don't want to creep her out!" She laughs, obviously thinking herself hilarious. "Seriously though, just be a slightly nicer version of yourself, you know normal or as normal as can be expected of you. She loves you, I am sure of it, so she knows what to expect with you, but you might want to lay off the sexual comments. Dear Abby says that if a woman feels like you are trying to pressure her into having sex before she feels ready, that she will lose interest in any form of relationship. So just follow her lead."

"Do you really think that she does? Love me, I mean." I ask her, hoping that it is true.

I sigh as she nods her head, "Yes, Eric, I do. She hasn't said anything about it to me, but I believe it to be true."

"Alright Pam. I got this. See you back here in a few hours. Don't forget that the liquor license inspector is due to drop in sometime this week, so please make sure our 'friends' are on their best behavior tonight. I don't want to lose our license just because Thalia can't keep her temper in check." I give her some final instructions.

I decide to make a quick circuit of the bar, giving everyone and everything a quick once over to make sure that there is nothing that needs my immediate attention before I leave for the night. I decide that everything looks good, so I make my way out the back door.

My 'Vette is waiting for me like a candy-apple red mistress in the night, her curves calling to me, begging for my touch, so I glide my fingers up her hood and over to the door. I trace the outline of the door frame to the handle, and slowly lift it. I open the door and slide into the leather seat, feeling the fit of it contour to my body. I moan as slip the key into the ignition and turn my mistress on. She growls her appreciation as I gently put her in gear, holding the clutch in as I give her some gas. I back out of my parking spot then caress the gear shift again, this time coaxing her into first, and giving her enough gas to get us on our way. Driving her is almost orgasmic, the way she responds to my slightest touch, more so than any car I have ever driven. I have had other cars, but none that give me the rush she does.

I have only allowed two women in this car. Pam and Sookie, and even then, Pam has only been in it a handful of times. She just doesn't understand my baby, choosing to drive a modest sedan over the lust-filled power house that is my 'Vette. Sookie on the other hand, she seems to get it. I saw her eyes dilate the very first time I opened the door for her. We were on our way to the orgy she invited me to, so she could find out who had killed her homosexual friend. It was everything I could do not to take her that night on the hood of my car. The idea of how hot that would have been is enough to start my cock twitching already. I am definitely going to have to do it; hopefully it'll be sometime soon.

I stop by the florist and buy a dozen red-tipped yellow roses, liking the significance they impart. I decide to ask the florist about candy, and she suggests a box of Belgian chocolate that they carry. I figure that they should be fine, so I add them to my purchase. I am half way to Sookie's house before I realize that it is almost 8:00 and that Sookie will be leaving soon. I don't want to get all the way to Bon Temps just to have missed her. I decide to call her and give her some kind of excuse to make her wait a little longer. I pick up my cell phone and hit the number '2' button on my speed dial – a number I've wanted to dial for so long now – and press send.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Hello, Sookie, how are you tonight?"

"I'm a little flustered right now, Eric. I'm running a bit late. Sam called me in to cover the dinner rush because Arlene's daughter has the flu, so she couldn't come in. I just got home about twenty minutes ago. I was just about to call you, but I didn't want you to think that I was canceling, or getting cold feet about our date. I really want to see you, but there's no way I'm going to be there on time. I'm so sorry, Eric, I hope you didn't have anything planned for us right away!" She is babbling, and though I often find it annoying when humans do this, I realize that I find it incredibly endearing coming from her tonight.

She sounds like there is something else on her mind as well, but I don't want to put her on the defensive tonight. I want her to enjoy our date, and she can't do that if she is angry with me. I decide to play the nice guy and let her off the hook.

"Actually, I was calling to let you know that I needed a little extra time myself tonight. I have to pick something up that I had forgotten about. It should take around an hour and a half, maybe two if I have to wait. Would that be alright with you? It would give you some extra time to calm down after your shift and allow you to take your time getting ready for our evening together." This is working out better than I thought.

"Are you sure it's okay, I mean, will you still have time to spend with me? I'll understand if you want to take care of your business tonight instead."

"Sweet Sookie, there is nothing that I would rather do than spend every night for the rest of my life with you. I plan on tonight being just the beginning of our forever together. Please, take your time, and I will see you soon," I say to her, knowing that it will be sooner than she thinks.

"Well, alright then, what time should I leave here? I don't want to be there too early if you won't be there."

"Give me about an hour or so. I'll call you when I'm headed back to the bar."

I tell her.

"That sounds perfect." I can hear her sigh, "I'll see you soon."

"Yes, you will, Sookie. Soon. Until then, goodbye." I smile as I hang up.

Once the phone is shut, I whisper "I love you" into the night time air, only wishing that I could say it to her. I know it is too soon for her to hear it now, but one day soon I will tell her. When I do, I will make sure that every supernatural being in my Area knows that she is my chosen mate. However, I will wait for her to say it to me first. I know she feels it, I can sense it in the way she looks at me, or how she speaks to me. I will not force the words from her lips. I want her to be ready, just as I am now, to express her feelings for me. I want to know that she is saying it because she wants me to know how she feels, not because she thinks I expect her to say it. It will mean so much more to me that way, and let's face the truth here, I'm a selfish Viking. I know she will be mine; she just needs some time to reach the same conclusion.

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**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Sookie POV**

UGH! I'm supposed to meet Eric at Fangtasia in a couple of hours, but I'm not sure if I'll make it on time. It's already way past the time I told Sam that I would stay 'til, but I'm still stuck at Merlotte's, since Sam knows I'm such a sucker. I cringe mentally as I recall the conversation earlier.

_It was around 1:00 this afternoon when he called me to ask if I could come in, telling me that Arlene called out because one of her kids has the flu. He said he was already down one waitress before that, and asked if there was any way I could cover Arlene's shift tonight. I told him that I had a date tonight, but that I would come in to cover the dinner rush only. He got quiet for a couple of seconds before he spoke again, so quiet I had to make sure my phone hadn't dropped the call._

"_You have a date tonight? You don't date…" he started off saying, but then interrupted himself, "Wait! Are you seeing Bill again? Sookie, don't you remember what that vamp did to you? Why would you want to see him again?" The longer he went on, the louder he got. By the end of his diatribe (it was the 'word of the day' on my calendar three days ago), he was practically yelling into the phone._

"_Not that it's any of your business, Sam, but no, I'm not seeing that slime-ball again. UGH, as if! I happen to be meeting a friend tonight in Shreveport, for your information. We are going to see if we are just going to be friends, or if there's something else between us." I reply, trying not to be too snarky, knowing that Sam is just worried about me._

I'm standing at the bar, waiting for Sam to fill the drink order for one of my tables, and I let my mind wander for a few minutes. Looking at Sam, I wonder if there was ever a time that it could have been more for us. If there had ever been a spark, a whiff of smoke, something that may have been a prelude to passion, and I can't honestly remember one. Sure we had gone to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting together, the one where Bill spoke to the members (and most of the town as well) about his experiences in the civil war, but I don't remember feeling anything but friendship for him. Even when he kissed me there was nothing for me.

_For the last four and a half months, Sam had been a great friend. He was a shoulder to cry on, or a willing ear to listen, if that's what I needed. He never treated me like I was crazy, more like I was a tarnished treasure. He would smile sadly each time he hugged me, knowing that I didn't have the same feelings for him that he had for me. Sometimes I wished I could feel that way towards him. He would be such an easy man to love, and I could raise a family with him, something I could never do with Eric._

_I know that if I decide to be with Eric I will be making the decision to not have children, but I can't help wondering if that's something I can live without. Am I ready to give up my dream of having a family? I thought I was ready with Bill, but the more time I spend around Arlene's kids, the more I realize that I might like to have at least one of my own. When I got staked while we were in Mississippi, I knew that my life wasn't complete, so now I am left with a life altering decision to make. Nearly eternal life with a vampire I think I might love or a mostly normal family life with a man I just liked. Neither option was perfect, but at least I have choices. Either choice was a decision to leave something behind, to make a sacrifice, but which was the right one? For all I knew, Eric might not want to be with me forever, so I guess I should just wait and see where tonight takes us. _

I feel a warm touch on my arm, pulling me back to reality. I look up at Sam, and realize that he is waiting for an answer to a question I didn't hear. Once I come back to reality, he beckons me back to his office. I take the drinks to the waiting table, make sure that all my other tables are taken care of, and head back to his office a few moments later. I find him pacing in a loose oval; covering almost all of the clear space between the doorway and his desk. I knock lightly, indicating my arrival, and he motions for me to close the door.

"Sorry, Sam, I kinda spaced out there. What were you saying?" I am catching scrambled pictures and phrases from his mind, the contact of his hand on my arm amplifying my ability to read his thoughts. A picture of us kissing flashes through his mind as his grasp turns into a caress. I try not to flinch as I gently pull my arm away from his touch.

"Sookie, I said I wanted to know who you are going out with tonight. I want to make sure that you will be safe. Maybe you should just stay home tonight, or if you really want to get out, we could go somewhere together. At least then I won't have to worry about what kind of trouble you might get yourself into." He repeated for me. Though I know that he is truly worried about me, I can't help but feel that he is being a bit too possessive of something that has never been his.

"I'm meeting Eric at Fangtasia, if you must know, and I'm sure that he will be more than able to protect me, should anything happen tonight. Is that enough of a reassurance for you, or should I have asked your permission before accepting his invitation?" Yes, I have reached full-on snark mode now, thank you very much, but just who the hell does he think he is?

"ERIC? You're meeting Eric? Sookie, do you have any idea what kind of man he is? Hell, Sookie, he's not even a man, he's a FUCKING VAMPIRE SHERIFF! He's used to bossing people around, and he always takes what he wants. There is no way that you are anything more to him than a way to piss away some free time. I forbid you to go. I don't wan-"

"You forbid me to go?" I ground the words through my teeth, seething at his blatant disregard for my feelings. "How DARE YOU, Sam Merlotte. How fucking dare you? The only time you have shown any interest in me during the last five years was when someone else decided that I was good enough to pay attention to. Only then did you think to do anything about your feelings towards me."

He tried to interrupt me, but I pushed him backwards, making him fall into his chair, forcing him to look up at me as I continued to rant in his face.

"Oh yes, you were more than happy when I came back from Fangtasia four months ago, and you found out that I had left Bill behind. You were more than excited by the prospect of me no longer speaking to another male vamp. You have even bitched and moaned and groaned about Pam hanging around, telling me that I needed to cut all the vamps out of my life!"

I need to stop for a few seconds and breathe. Sam decided to use this break in my ranting to get a word in edgewise.

"You know that you are not the best judge of character, Sookie. Just look at the trouble you have gotten into since you stepped into the vamps world. How many times have you nearly been killed? How many times have they put you in a situation where they knew it would put you in danger, yet they did it anyways? They don't care about anything other than what they can get out of a given situation or how much money can be made off of your telepathic services. That's probably the only reason Pam has stuck around. Can't you see, Eric probably ordered her to 'be your friend' so he could keep some type of control over you, making it seem like you had a choice."

I can't help myself, I scream. It is a strangled, angry, and wailing at the ceiling type of scream. One where I let every ounce of anger and frustration feed into it, knowing that if I don't channel it this way, I might just kill my boss. I am too angry to think of him as my friend right now. He certainly isn't acting like one at the moment, more like a jilted lover.

"I'm leaving Sam, and right now, I'm not sure I'll be back. I can't believe that you are acting this way. I am an adult, a grown woman, who is fully capable of making her own decisions. I don't need you telling me what to do, nor do you have any right to do so. I don't need to be reminded of all the trouble I've been involved in, but need I remind you that Eric has always been there to protect me? Not you. Eric. Even when it was dangerous for him to do so, he was there. He has saved my life several times. What have you done for me? Given me a job? Well, I'm not sure if I even want that from you anymore!" I yell as I yank my apron off and throw it on the floor of his office.

I grab my purse out of his desk drawer and hurl the door open so hard I had to catch it before it can bounce off the wall and slam shut again. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes, but I don't want to spill them in front of Sam. I don't want to show him how much his attitude towards me and my possible happiness hurt me. I expel myself through the back door and run to my car. It's already after 8:00 and I am supposed to Meet Eric at Fangtasia at nine. I knew I had to rush, but I also knew that it didn't give me any time to mull over the pain I was feeling because of Sam's words. I throw myself into the driver's seat and pull the door shut. As soon as the engine roars to life, I toss my car in gear and spin my tires, screeching out of the parking lot.

Then I realized what I had been thinking of before my confrontation with Sam. About how easy a life with him would be. I was wrong. I couldn't have a family with a man who didn't trust me to be able to think for myself. There was no way It would be easy to love him, what was I thinking? Speaking of not thinking… Oh my God! Did I just quit my job? As my brain starts to slow down again, I realize that I just told Sam that I wasn't sure if I would be back.

"SHIT!" I yell into the empty car. Now, how was I going to pay my bills? I guess I could just ask Eric to hire me. No, I didn't want that, not really. It would really feel like Eric owned me then, and whatever we might be starting was too new for me to work for him too.

Within minutes of me walking into my house, my phone starts to ring. Something tells me it's Eric calling, so I mentally pull up my big girl panties, swallow my anger at Sam and try to act like nothing is wrong. I didn't want him to go all caveman-heroic on Sam, even if I am still pissed off at him.

Before I answer, I look down at my caller ID. Sure enough, 'Eric the Hotty' is flashing across the screen. I giggle at that for a second, before pushing 'talk'. I programmed his number in that way when I had first gotten my phone, back when I was still with Bill, and I had never changed it.

"Hello?" I answer hesitantly. Even though I am running behind, I really hope he's not calling to cancel our evening. I really don't want to be alone tonight.

"Hello, Sookie, how are you tonight?" His voice is like silk sliding into my ear. I start to tingle a little, just at the sound of it over the phone.

"I'm a little flustered right now, Eric." I answer him truthfully. He doesn't need to know it's because of the wonderful things his voice alone is doing to my body already. "I'm running a bit late. Sam called me in to cover the dinner rush because Arlene's daughter has the flu, so she couldn't come in. I just got home about twenty minutes ago. I was just about to call you, but I didn't want you to think that I was canceling, or getting cold feet. I really want to see you, but there's no way I'm going to be there on time. I'm so sorry, Eric, I hope you didn't have anything planned for right away!"

Oh great, now I sound like I've lost my freakin' mind. I feel better as I hear him give a short laugh. At least he thinks it's funny, and not an indication of craziness, I think.

"Actually, I was calling to let you know that I needed a little extra time tonight myself. I have to pick something up that I had forgotten about. I should take around an hour and a half, maybe two if I have to wait. Would that be alright with you? It would give you some extra time to calm down after your shift and allow you to take your time getting ready for our evening together."

This is working out better than I could have asked for. I'm ecstatic that he needs more time; I really didn't want to be the one to propose we push back our date for an hour or two. But as I think about his request, I need to be sure that he still wanted to see me. After all, hadn't Sam just basically told me that Eric was only using me?

"Are you sure it's okay, I mean, will you still have time to spend with me? I'll understand if you want to take care of your business tonight instead."

"Sweet Sookie, there is nothing that I would rather do than spend every night for the rest of my life with you. I plan on tonight being just the beginning of our forever together. Please, take your time, and I will see you soon." He says to me, and for some reason, I feel like he is smirking to himself.

I wonder what he has up his sleeve now. Whenever he is in this good of a mood, he always does something over the top, something he knows I would never ask for, so he just does it. Then he sits back and waits for me to yell at him, or tell him thank you, usually it's a combination of both. I both hate and love that smirk-inducing attitude. I sigh as quietly as I can, hoping that he didn't hear me doing so.

"Well, alright then, what time should I leave here? I don't want to be there too early if you won't be there," I ask him. I wish he had offered to come get me, but then how would I get home later?

"Give me about an hour or so. I'll call you when I'm headed back to the bar." He says to me

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you soon." I sigh again, a little bit louder this time.

"Yes, you will, Sookie. Soon. Until then, goodbye."

What is that supposed to mean? I ask myself as I stare off into the living room. His cryptic message has me baffled and a little, do I dare say it, worried. Oh well, he didn't cancel, so I will still get to see him tonight. I smiled as I closed my phone, and skipped to my bedroom to get ready for the evening.

About 45 minutes later, just as I am about to change into my dress, I hear a knock on the front door. I throw my robe on, and walk to the door. Before I open it, I look out the small window, just to make sure it isn't some crazy stalker out to kill me, and gasp when I realize it's much, much worse.

Bill Compton is standing at my door, looking back at me through the window. He's holding flowers, and he has this super serious look on his face.

"Great, just fucking great." I mumble as I reach for the doorknob. I open the door, and just look at him. I rescinded his invitation months ago, so I know that as long as I stay on this side of the doorway, he cannot touch me.

"What do you want, Bill? Why are you here, tonight, after I told you I never wanted to speak to you again?" Just as I ask him this, I hear Eric's corvette start to make its way down my driveway.

"Oh hell! This night just keeps getting better!" I shout. I am standing in my doorway in my underwear and bra, covered by a flimsy Victoria's Secret robe. My ex-boyfriend and former lover is on my porch with flowers, my boss and friend is probably now both my ex-boss and ex-friend, and the one man who could possibly make me feel better is staring daggers at me through his windshield. "This is just great."

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**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**Sookie POV**

"What the fuck is he doing here, Sookie?" Bill practically growls at me as his gaze shifts to Eric's red Corvette, then back again to my horrified face.

_What does he mean? It's like Bill doesn't think that Eric has any right to be here, at my house. If anybody needs to leave, it's Bill. I have to admit though; I'm glad that Eric is here, even if it is unexpected. _

As I keep my eyes focused on Eric's face, the anger I see in his features slowly changes to an emotion I cannot read. I see his eyes dart back and forth between Bill and I, and I am suddenly reminded that I am nearly naked, standing in my doorway. I'm sure that the fact that I am standing here, talking to Bill, doesn't help the situation either.

It has taken me a while to feel like I can trust any vampire again, because of what Bill put me through. I have tried to open myself to Eric, showing him that I trust him as much as I can right now. I feel like we have created a bond of sorts, through our letters. I'm not sure how he will react to seeing Bill here, tonight, when this is supposed to be our first 'official' date. I need to go to Eric. I need to let him know that Bills arrival is a surprise to me; that I didn't plan on him coming over. I think back to our conversation less than an hour ago, and I can only imagine how it sounds to him now…

'_No, Eric, I just need some extra time to get ready for our date tonight, you know, and to have sex with my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, that's right, the one you can't stand.'_

I make the decision to deal with Eric first. I can't stand the thought of him ending this, _whatever it is_, before we even get the chance to really start it. He needs to understand that I don't want Bill; not here, not anywhere, not any more. I want him; _Eric_. I step out of the doorway, looking into my Viking's eyes. I try to convey all of my longing for him as I take another step towards him, but something stops me, literally.

I look up, trying to figure out why I can't move any farther, and I am confronted with Bill's enraged face barely centimeters from my own. His arms wind tightly around my chest, slowly cutting off my ability to breathe. I try to scream, but it only comes out as a tiny squeak. Bill tightens his hold, and a blinding flash of excruciating pain rips through my chest as I feel several of my ribs snap. I look up to see a red car door fly through the night and a fierce Viking warrior land abruptly a few feet in front of me.

I blink once, twice, trying to clear the red haze that is creeping across my vision.

I cough, and everything goes black.

***0*0*0*0***

**Bill POV**

I have stayed away from Sookie for the last four and a half months, but then last night at Fangtasia, I overheard a conversation claiming that she and Eric are getting together. There is absolutely no way I will stand by and let him have her. She is mine; she just doesn't realize it yet. I guess I need to remind her. I must, however, catch her by surprise, or I fear she will think she can avoid me once again.

I decide to run to the flower shop in town and pick up a small bunch of flowers, just something simple. Sookie knows I'm not the romantic sort, and I certainly don't do flowers, so I'm confident she'll be happy to get them from me. As I drive back to my house, I try to figure out how to tell Sookie that this nonsense has got to stop.

_I'm growing tired of her immature attitude, feeling like she can tell me what to do. It was cute at the beginning but not so much now. Besides, if the Queen really wants Sookie, I can deliver her and get back into the Queens favor again. I might be greatly rewarded and who knows I might even get a promotion to Sheriff. If I can deliver Sookie and make Eric look like the incompetent ass that he truly is, the Queen might even give me his area. Wouldn't that be sweet justice? _

As soon as I park in front of my house, I grab the flowers and head through the cemetery. It's a short walk from my front door to Sookie's, one that I make every night to make sure that she is alone, so it requires none of my concentration tonight. I let my mind wander.

_I have no doubts that Sookie will accept me back into her life, once I explain everything to her. Once I tell her that I stayed away from her this long so that she could feel like she was in control of our relationship, she will see that I really am an understanding sort of guy. (I mean, she does have some needs too, even if she is only a human.) Even if she doesn't, she won't have any choice really, because she belongs to me, and that will never change. _

_I can't wait to bury my cock in her warm, supple flesh again. I wonder how much her scent will change when I turn her. I know she says she wants to remain human, but really, once she starts getting wrinkles, she'll change her mind. I should just do it one night, and say that it was an accident, that I went too far in the passion of the moment. That way, I will never have to see her body change with age. _

_I shutter as I try to picture her with sagging tits and arm-pit bat wings. Ugh! Really, I'd be doing her a favor. _

As I approach her house and see her silhouette behind the blinds of her bedroom, I wish that she had not rescinded my invitation after that night in Fangtasia. I would much rather be able to walk right into her house, and catch her unaware; I love the little cry of fright she lets out when she is surprised. It just does something to me.

But that's just wishful thinking. I know for a fact that she rescinded it, because several nights after the incident at Fangtasia, after I decided she'd had enough time to feel bad for telling me to leave her alone. I tried to visit her while she was sleeping, but I couldn't even open the door. I was so pissed; I decided it was time to play her game a bit.

_She says she doesn't want me, fine. I went out and got a new playmate. Granted Selah wasn't as sweet tasting as my Sookie, but she put up a good show in the bedroom. I noticed Sookie's glares every time we would see her while we were out, and I couldn't help but feel smug. She was jealous, and she would be until such a time as I felt that she had suffered enough for her insolence. _

_But this is taking things too far. Eric? If she thinks she can fuck Eric behind my back and get away with it, she is in for a rude awakening. I will not tolerate that asshole so much as putting his lips on her. I know that I don't stand a chance in a physical confrontation with him, but I'm confident it won't come to that. As soon as Sookie hears that I am willing to take her back, despite the way that she treated me, she'll realize that she belongs with me. I just need to get to her before Eric get his fangs in her, before he marks her, or even the Queen won't be able to make him give her up._

I smile as I reach out and knock on her door. I can hear a flurry of activity coming from the direction of her bedroom, and I can only smile. _Perhaps she was getting ready for bed, and will be receptive to returning there with me once I have told her that I forgive her, and that I am still willing to be with her._ I see her pull back the curtains of the window in the living room at the same time I hear the sound of Eric's Corvette hit the gravel of Sookie's driveway. My smile is instantly torn off my face, only to be replaced with anger.

What the fuck is _he_ doing here?

Just as I am thinking that, Sookie opens the door in a short silk bathrobe. I stare at her for a few seconds, remembering all the pleasure that I have given to her sweet flesh. Not to mention, all the times that I have fed from her, tasting the unique flavor of her blood. I can smell it now, pulsing stridently through her veins, calling to me, teasing me. My eyes focus on the pulse point at the crux of her neck and shoulder, watching it pump rhythmically; my body's own siren's call.

In the precious seconds that it takes me to dwell on these, I am aware of other things, things which do not please me. I can see that she is not happy to see me. I watch as the muscles in her face tighten, and her stance stiffens up, pulling her body fully erect. Her eyes meet mine, and I see anger and fury flash into them as she looks at me. I notice that she is careful not to cross the barrier that is her doorway, keeping her effectively outside of my reach. Maybe this isn't going to go as smoothly as I thought.

"What do you want, Bill?" she asks bitterly. "Why are you here tonight, after I told you I never wanted to speak to you again?" I see her eyes dart to the driveway and widen in surprise. I feel slightly better, seeing for myself that she didn't know he would be here either. I take a few seconds to glance towards the car that has just come to a stop a few yards away from the porch. Eric looks positively peeved that I am here. I inwardly smile as I see his brows furrow and his eyes squint with frustration. I guess he knows that he hasn't got a chance now that I am back in the picture, so to speak. Even he has to be smart enough to know that Sookie will choose me, if given the choice.

"Oh hell! This night just keeps getting better." Sookie shouts, almost in my ear. I turn to tell her to go back inside, that I will deal with Eric. But instead of the anxiety I expect to see in her eyes, I see nothing but frustration. Then she mumbles something under her breath. I can barely hear her, but I still make it out. It would seem that she's not too happy with this situation either.

I turn to look at Eric once more, and I'm confused to see him settle back into his seat, something resembling a twisted smile crossing his lips. His eyes are focused on Sookie, and it looks like he is trying to convey something to her without using any words. This time, instead of just thinking the words to myself, I turn and look at Sookie. Suddenly, I feel like she has betrayed me. Does she think she can flaunt her affair with Eric right under my nose? He must be too embarrassed to face me, knowing that he is crossing a line, since I have already claimed her as mine.

"What the fuck is he doing here, Sookie?" I ask her, the tone of my voice echoing my severe irritation with this situation. I can't believe this bitch thinks that she can replace me… with Eric! It won't happen; I will gladly kill her before I see her become Eric's whore!

She looks in his direction again and takes a step, crossing her doorway, bringing her out of the safety of her house, right into my waiting arms. I instantly grab a hold of her, not giving her the option of running to him. She is mine. She was once, and she will be so again.

***0*0*0*0***

**Eric POV**

I can't believe what I'm seeing. I pulled into Sookie's driveway, only to be subjected to the sight of her on her front porch, clearly angry, standing there in nothing more than a robe, talking to Bill. I thought I had made it perfectly clear to Bill that he was not to contact her again? Hell, I thought Sookie had made it clear to him as well? _Is he really so hell bent on meeting his final death_, I wonder to myself. I can think of no other reason for him to be here. He knows that I will kill him if he disobeys my direct orders concerning this woman. If _I_ can see that she's not happy with his presence, how can he miss it?

And yet, here he is.

I turn off the car after coming to a stop next to her front porch. I watched the smug grin fall off Bill's face as he looks from her to me, and back again. I am glaring between Sookie and Bill, trying to decipher if I need to intervene. As I furrow my brows in anger, I begin seething, wanting any excuse to be beside Sookie. I can feel how worried she is; her blood is telling me that she thinks I am angry at her. I wish that we were completely bonded so I could send her some reassurance; letting her know that my anger isn't directed at her, but towards Bill. If we could communicate through a bond, she wouldn't be looking between Bill and me with that 'deer in the headlights' look. She would already know that my anger is for Bill alone.

_Hopefully, I will be able to convince her to complete our bond sometime soon. I have never felt so compelled to bond with a human before, but there is something different about my Sookie, almost as if it is our destiny to be together. I feel so drawn to her, allowing myself to feel and experience emotions that I haven't felt since I was human. There is more at work here, something magical- otherworldly. Her blood sings to me, a siren's call to my wayward soul. I feel like my redemption might just be possible in her arms. I will do anything to make her happy. I would move mountains if it would make her smile, even if only for a moment._

I take a deep breath, and attempt to smile at her, knowing as I did it, that it probably looks more like a sneer. I can hear Bill whining to her, but I can only concentrate on her face. Even in her anger, she is stunning. I decide I will not interfere, choosing instead to let her control the situation. I try to visibly relax inside my car, and hope that she will understand exactly what it is that I am doing for her.

_Normally, I would simply jump out of the car, and without giving Bill a chance to explain himself, I would kill him. However, I know that Sookie would resent my interference, seeing it as proof that I didn't believe that she was capable of dealing with it herself. Only if he touches her will I intercede._

I continue watching Sookie, mesmerized by the wide range of emotions flitting across her eyes. She locks her gaze with mine, and I sense that she is coming to me, hell-bent on explaining something, possibly why Bill has arrived at her door tonight of all nights. With a look of determination plastered on her face, she steps out of the safety of her house. I stare in horror as Bill wastes no time in grabbing her. Sookie, trying to call out for my help, squeaks my name. Without bothering with the handle, I push the door open, twist it off the hinges, and send it flying across her yard and out of my way. Even with all the high-pitched noise from the tearing metal, I can still hear a very distinctive snapping noise. I jump out of the car, landing just a few feet away, ready to tear Bill limb from limb.

Sookie blinks and coughs once, then falls limp in Bills arms.

He will pay for harming my chosen mate. I will kill him for this.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: **__**Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**Eric POV**

_I jump out of the car, flying to help Sookie, and land just a few feet away from them, ready to tear Bill limb from limb once he releases her. _

_Sookie blinks and coughs once, then falls limp in Bills arms, thankfully unconscious. I don't want her to have to feel all the pain that she is undoubtedly feeling right now._

_He will pay for harming my chosen mate. I will kill him for this._

***0*0*0*0***

"Let her go, Bill." I growl out, unable to unclench my jaw.

"She's mine, Eric, just let it be," he responds.

"What do you mean, she's yours?" I ask, more than a little confused.

"She belongs to me. The Queen sent me to get her, and I did as I was told. You cannot interfere."

"Have you lost your mind? The Queen gave you orders almost five months ago to leave this woman alone. Sookie, herself, told you then that she no longer wanted you in her life. Why do you believe that she is still yours?" I scoff at him.

"She has had my blood and I have had hers. We have been intimate on many occasions; therefore I have claimed her as my own. No other vampire should be able to touch her until I have relinquished my claim, yet you seek her affections. You probably poisoned her against me when you spent all that time with her in Mississippi while I was being tortured by Lorena. You were probably forcing her to leave me that night in Fangtasia, just like you were trying to do to me. She didn't know what she was saying then. I have given her enough time to cool down, so I came tonight to tell her that I'm willing to forgive her, and to take her back." He counters. He continues to rant about every unjust thing that had been done to him, from the time he had been born to the time he had been turned, to tonight. I do not hear a word of it as my attention is focused on another sound, one far more distressing to me than his meaningless drivel.

Sookie moans lightly as she comes to and tries to move out of Bill's tight grasp. The movement causes Bill to shut his mouth for a moment, focusing his attention on Sookie whimpering in his grasp. Just the slightest bit of movement causes her to cry out sharply. I can hear the edges of her broken ribs grinding together, and it spurs me into action. As I reach out to pull her out of Bill's arms, he grabs a handful of her hair and yanks her head to the side, exposing her delicate neck.

"One more step Eric, and I'll drain her right in front of your eyes. If she doesn't want to be with me, that's her problem, but I will make sure that you never touch her!" he says to me with more than a hint of crazy flashing in his eyes.

I stop moving, internally analyzing the most effective means of rescuing her.

"Bill, you don't have to hurt her." I can hear the plea, the edge of desperation tingeing my voice. "She hasn't done anything to you. If you kill her, the Queen won't be happy with you, but even she won't get the chance to punish you. If you hurt her any more than you already have, you won't make it two steps away from that spot before I rip your head clean off your body. But, if you give her to me right now, you can still leave. You know that Sookie doesn't want me to kill you, and because of her, I will let you live; if you walk away right now."

I don't want to tell him this, I want to tear him apart, but I know that Sookie _will_ hold it against me if I cause him permanent harm.

"Give her to you? Are you out of your ever loving Viking mind? Have your years finally caught up to you? There is absolutely no way I will allow _my_ Sookie to become your slut of the month! She's too pure. I am the only man that will ever touch her. I would rather see her drained than to see her in your arms even once! She. Is. MINE!" He spits out at me. As if to illustrate his point, he then turns his face into Sookie's neck and bites down. Hard.

Time stands still as I hear the faint tearing of her skin as his fangs pierce her flesh. I can hear the gush of her blood as it pumps itself into his waiting mouth. I can hear the rush of blood filling his mouth as he sucks it in for the first draw on her vein. I am able to hear him swallow that first mouthful of the deliciousness that is her life-force. I see a trickle of crimson wind its way slowly down her neck, and I can't look away for even a split second. Then I can smell it. I smell that alluring mixture of want, need, lust, love, purity, innocence, laughter, sunlight and Sookie. I can taste the strong flavor of copper and honeysuckles permeating the air around her, begging me to latch on to her wrist, her neck, anywhere really, to feed from her as well. I feel my leg twitch, readying itself to move towards this bountiful feast. However, there is one thing that drowns out all of these other distractions; I can hear her screaming_._

It isn't one of those sissy-assed screams that girls give so that their boyfriends will hold them closer during a scary movie in a dark theater. No. It is a soul wrenching, pain-filled wail that breaks me from the trance that the sight and smell of her blood has pulled me into. It has been less than thirty seconds since he buried his fangs into her neck, but already he is draining her.

"Eric!" She screams out to me, panic etched into every feature of her face. "Please don't let me die! Don't let him turn me; I don't want to be a vampire! Help me Eric…" Sookie's voice slowly dies away. Once again, the pain and panic are too much for her frail human body, and she passes into unconsciousness once more.

My eyes snap to her face as I finally grab Bill's arms. I have to look away, afraid that for once I might lose something worth really fighting for; her. I will fight to the death for this woman. Though hearing her say that she doesn't want to be turned hurts a little bit and will make things a bit harder for us in the future, I will make sure that she lives through this. Bill will not be so lucky.

Sadly though, I will not have enough time to kill him properly, like I have plotted to do so many times in my head. I will have to rush this, which means that my satisfaction will be diminished. I want to make him suffer for ever placing his hands on _my_ Sookie.

I reach out to grab hold of the arm that is still crushing her to his side, but Bill takes a step back, wrenching her with him. Bill looks up at me, sneering, his mouth still attached to Sookie's neck as he continues to drain her. I can see the color drain form her cheeks as her beautiful shaped lips started to turn an all too familiar shade of blue.

"LET HER GO!" I growl between my clenched teeth. When he doesn't comply, I take a tentative step forward once again, wanting to literally rip Bill's arm from his pathetic body.

In a matter of seconds, he releases her from his grasp only to let her collapse to the floor. Sookie's limp, pale, lifeless, body lays crumpled at Bill's feet. My temper flares as my eyes travel up to meet his wild stare. He crouches down, readying himself for an attack, baring his teeth to me; as if that would scare me. I mimic his stance, wanting nothing more than to finally kill Bill. He has been a nuisance from day one and I for one, will be glad to be rid of him.

I look down at Sookie, wanting to pull her out of harm's way. I know it would only take me a matter of seconds to retrieve her. But as if Bill knew my intent, he steps one foot over Sookie. I can hear a low growl emanating from his chest as he quickly looks down and then back at me.

Bill's murderous glare meets my equally enraged eyes. "You have no right! The Queen gave her to me! She gave herself to me! I NEVER GAVE HER UP! HOW DARE YOU TAKE HER FROM ME!" He screams, his delusions of grandeur still making their presence known.

"She has never belonged to you, Bill. She is too good for that. Sookie belongs only to herself. She may have given her body and her love to you for a time, but she will never belong to anybody. Did you ever love her, Bill? Truly love her?" I ask him, realizing for the first time in my entire millennium on this earth, I have never felt the depth of that particular emotion, until now.

I am in love with a human, this human; this woman. I am in love with Sookie. For the first time in my long life, I am truly in love.

I feel my fangs descend as I am pulled from my thoughts to defend the woman I love.

"Sookie. Is. Mine!" Bill lunges at me and manages to hit me square in the chest, knocking me back a few steps. It is but a gentle rub compared to what I am used to. I sneer at him, egging him on, now craving the satisfaction of eradicating Bill from this world with an intensity that rivals the greatest bloodlust I have ever felt. He comes at me again, but this time I'm ready for him; I lunge out of the way, gripping his right arm in the process, crushing every bone in his arm. His piercing cries are music to my ears. His body crashes into the porch railing, breaking shards of wood in every direction.

"You will never have her," he says in protest. I can hear the desperation in his voice mixed with utter madness. With his teeth bared, ready to strike and his left harm raised, he comes at me once again. His feral eyes pierce mine, holding all the hate he has for me. His left arm comes down forcefully, missing me by mere centimeters and collide into the wall. A deep growl of frustrations escapes Bills throat as he withdraws his arm from the gaping hole he just made. Growing tired of this mockery of a fight, I hit him in the chest, hearing several bones break as he flies through the air, landing in Sookie's yard. At lightning speed, I am hovering over him. As he tries to stand, I hit him again, feeling the rush of battle begin to pulse throughout my body. It has been too long since I have been involved in one-on-one combat; I just wish my opponent and I were more equally matched, then it would truly be a glorious fight. But fighting Bill is like wrestling a child. His eyes flash between loathing and unadulterated fear.

_Has he finally realized he shouldn't have messed with Sookie, and ultimately me? _

"What gives you the right? You have already stated that she doesn't belong to you; she doesn't belong to anybody," he asks in a weirdly sing-songy, angry kind of voice.

I pull myself up to my full height, knowing that my 6 foot, 4 inch frame is severely intimidating. I allow the fullness of my voice to enter into my words, projecting my voice almost violently at him. "I am the Sheriff, appointed by Sophie-Anne Le Clerc, Queen of the Louisiana territory, to rule over all area 5 vampires, and I give myself the right. You have harmed a woman that did not want your affections. You have broken several laws tonight, William Compton, laws that we have in place for a reason. You attempted to drain a human without her permission, thereby sentencing her to death or turning, all for your own selfishness. For this, you are sentenced to death. For this, you have freely given up your right to walk among us. I am your Sheriff; that is what gives me the right. But I am also, Eric Northman, the vampire who loves the woman you attempted to kill tonight, and that gives me all the motivation I need."

His gaze moves past me to the porch. My eyes follow his, and I make the mistake of taking my eyes off of him for just a second. In that frivolous moment of my own stupidity, Bill escapes my grasp and is already a haze, heading towards the porch.

In a last ditch effort, he kneels down beside Sookie's lifeless body. He raises her wrist to his lips, and pulls them back to reveal his fangs. He is going to drain her completely; bound and determined to make sure I will _never_ be with her. I can't let that happen. I'll give him this much; the man is determined.

Time slows down for me once again as I take a step towards the scene in front of me. With clarity, I see everything happening as if time is in slow motion; Sookie lying there, oblivious in her current state, Bill's crazed expression as he looks down at her. His look is filled with desperation and something else… could it be love?

_Does he think he loves her so much, enough so, that she would find it is preferable to end her life if she couldn't be with him, when she herself told us she wants to live? Would I have acted any differently? I already feel possessive over Sookie and we have barely scratched the surface of our relationship. I know without a doubt I don't want to let her go or have to share her with another man. _

I see some shards of wood lying on the ground, offering themselves as perfect stakes to end Bills life with. I grab one as I fly up the steps. Bill, pre-occupied with his draining of Sookie, doesn't notice my rapid approach until it is too late. I stake him through the heart, sending him onto his back.

I watch as blood surges from his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, along with the gaping hole I just created in his chest. I hear him shriek as he withers in pain. The sight is somewhat rewarding as I see Bill's body slowly turn to ash. I have seen it, and been the cause of it, many times in my lifetime; the older ones turn to ash much faster, while a newer vampire dies at a slower pace.

I turn my attention back to Sookie. She is lying on the porch floor, lifelessly, but I can still hear the faint flutter of her heartbeat inside her chest. I drop to my knees beside her and gather her into my arms. The entire showdown has taken less than three minutes, but they are precious minutes to the woman beside me; minutes in which her life was almost taken from her, then given back to her once again.

I stand up and realize that I cannot enter her home; she has not reissued me an invitation yet. I groan, knowing that this is not the place that I would choose to do this, but I can't delay much longer. She needs my blood to heal. I cast my eyes around for an accommodating spot in which I can hold her while I heal her. My glance lands on piece of comfortable looking lawn chair in the middle of her yard. I carry her to the reclining chaise lounge, and lower myself onto it first, settling Sookie's limp body over mine; her back lying against my chest. I wrap my arms loosely around her waist, trying not to hurt her anymore than Bill has already done.

I bring my right wrist to my mouth and tear at the flesh with my fangs, slicing open my ancient veins to allow her to drink without too much effort. I place it over her mouth as I bring my other hand up to gently caress her throat, coaxing her to swallow my blood. It takes a few seconds, but soon her hands grip tightly around my wrist. She soon begins sucking greedily, pulling my life into her body. I can feel my cock starting to stiffen in response. I begin to shift my hips, grinding against her subtlety, almost hoping that she is too preoccupied to notice what I am doing to her. I can't control this aspect of blood sharing. It's instinctive, though right now I would give anything to be able to stop my reactions. She doesn't deserve to be treated this way, not after what she has gone through tonight. I try to restrain my movements, but it is difficult.

I can feel her ribs realign themselves under my arms, fusing back into place. I can feel the sigh of relief as Sookie breathes in without pain for the first time since becoming conscious again. I feel her body stiffen as she becomes aware of the fact that she is drinking from my wrist, and I am reminded of that night in Mississippi many months ago.

I am brought back from my musings by a feeling, more of a sensation really. Her hips shift slightly against my erection, causing it to jump for joy at the contact. She moans, still drinking from me, and moves her hips a little harder this time, and I have to grab her hips to still them.

"Sookie," I growl to her, using my wrist that is still attached to her mouth to turn her face towards mine, "you need to stop. You're hurt and you don't know what you're doing. I'll not take you this way. I want you to want me because you need me, not because of the bloodlust."

She releases my wrist and uses the back of her hand to try to wipe the excess blood from her mouth. I struggle with myself, knowing that there is nothing more in this world that I want more than this woman right now. However, I don't want to hurt her, either physically or emotionally. I reign myself in, sigh raggedly, and look at her once more.

Her eyes are soft, yet blazing with desire. She slowly lifts herself off my body, but surprises me by simply turning herself around and straddles my hips. She once again lays down over me, this time facing me, and holds my gaze.

She brings her small hand up to touch my face with her fingertips, tracing my jaw line gently. I wrap my arms around her once again, reveling in the heat of our contact.

"Eric," she sighs up into my face, her sweet breath washing my face with its scent, "you saved me. You rescued me from Bill. Why?"

"I saved you because you didn't deserve to die, Sookie," I say to her, maybe a bit too gruffly, our eyes still locked together.

"Is that the only reason, Eric, just because I didn't deserve to die? How many times have you saved me, Eric, how many other times have you been there to protect me? Did you do it then because I didn't deserve to die? Or do you have some other reason for wanting to keep me alive? Huh, Eric? Tell me. I want to hear you tell me the truth."

She says all of this in a whisper, all the while slowly grinding her hips into my bulging erection. Every time she whispers my name, my hips involuntarily buck into hers, sending shocks of pleasure racing through my body. For the first time since pulling into her driveway, I notice that she is wearing nothing but her robe and undergarments. I can't stop myself this time; I lose all control of my willpower and my limbs as they begin to freely roam her body, caressing her hips and sides under the fabric of her thin robe. I untie her belt and my hands travel up to her breasts, tentatively brushing her lace covered nipples and I feel them harden and pucker beneath my fingertips. I roll her hardened nubs between my fingers, pinching and pulling on them gently. I can't stop my hips any longer; they begin to thrust upwards on their own, seeking the warmth of Sookie's heated center. My throbbing erection is only separated from her flesh by the fabric of my pants and the lace of her underwear, it's still too much.

As I let myself go, she does too. Her mouth comes crashing down on mine, her lips still covered in my blood. I flick my tongue out, licking the plump curves of her mouth. She captures my tongue with her lips, sucking it into her mouth, and begins to massage it with her own. There is no dominance in this kiss, only heated curiosity. It's not the first time that I have kissed this woman, but it is the first time that she has given herself freely to my embrace. I let my tongue explore her mouth, memorizing every bit of it, tasting and touching, claiming it.

Reluctantly I pull away from her, freeing my mouth so that I can answer her questions. I try to answer her honestly, without saying those three little words that will make me hers completely.

"Of course there's more Sookie, keeping you safe has become my first priority lately. I can't stand the thought of you not being safe. The thought of my world without you in it is like looking at a black and white photo, all the while craving color. You are my color. You are brightness and light to my darkness. You are the day to my night, the sunshine to my moon light. You are the one thing I find that I have trouble living without." I never look away from her as I say this, my eyes holding hers captive while I search them to see if my feelings are returned. What I find in their depths overwhelms me.

Just then, I wish my heart did beat, so that I could feel it stop for a few beats, then race off again at a fevered pitch. Just so I could match her heartbeat's lightning speed. I smile and enthusiastically throw my arms around her, lifting us both off the lounge, and propel us both back to her front door. I side-step around the pile of ashes formerly known as Bill, and happily crush the bouquet he brought with him under my size 13 boot. I reach the door, but I can't go any farther without her permission.

"Invite me in, Sookie!" I breathe into her ear, hoping she catches the double meaning.

She did. "Please come in Eric, you are most welcome here."

I throw the door open and walk through it quickly, catching it with my foot and kicking it shut. I speed us back to her bedroom and gently lay her down on her bed. I tear the robe from her body, and step back to admire her. Her body is my kind of perfection. She isn't all skin and bones waif that seems to be what the women of today seem to strive for; she has curves where women are supposed to have them. Her ass is high and firm, round and heart shaped. Her hips are just fleshy enough to be held firmly. Her stomach is slightly rounded, but barely enough to notice. Her waist curves inwards just enough to be enticing, but not so much as to be considered waspish. Her breasts are round and heavy, big enough to spill over my hands when I cup them. I can't take my eyes off her nearly naked body.

The contrast of her perfectly tanned skin and the crisp white lace of her bra and panties is clearly hypnotic. I find myself thinking that I will do anything she wants if she will just let me remove them. I lick my lips, impatient to taste her skin. I kneel before her on the floor and pick up her leg, placing a small kiss on the inside of her ankle. I hear her intake of breath as I begin to trail my tongue up her calf, stopping every few seconds to kiss any spot that catches my attention. I take some extra time exploring the indent at the back of her knee before continuing on my quest. When I reach her inner thigh, right above her femoral artery, I glance up to her face.

What I see is enough to make me believe that this woman really was created just for me. Her eyes are hooded with passion, and her lips are parted just enough to allow the shallow gasps of breath to escape her lungs. A bewitching blush has crept up her body covering her face and chest, turning her skin a beautiful dusty rose color. I can't wait any longer; I have to taste her, now. I turn my head, burying my face into the apex of her thighs, feeling the dampness that saturates the crotch of her panties. I rub my nose and chin over the material that separates our skin. Her hips jerk, forcing her center into closer contact with my face, causing her to gasp loudly.

"Eric, please," she whimpers.

Who am I to withhold what my beloved wants. I back away from her just enough to remove her panties. Sookie groans at the perceived loss, until she realizes what my intention is. She lifts her hips, allowing me to gently pull the small scrap of lace slowly down her legs, prolonging the sweet torture. The sight of her wet folds renders me speechless. I have walked this earth for over a millennium, and I have never seen anything this beautiful.

"That is by far the most amazing sight I have ever seen. God, Sookie, you are too beautiful." I whisper, not wanting to ruin the moment by speaking too loudly.

"Please, Eric, love me now."

It does not escape my notice that she didn't say '_make_ love _to_ me now'. I sigh, pure bliss finding its way into every cell of my body. I lean back into her, never letting her eyes leave mine. Without any hesitation, I run my forefinger downwards from the top of her slit, over her clitoris, searching for the entrance to my own personal heaven. Once I feel it, I gently slide my finger inside her all the way in until my palm is cupping her mound completely. I press my palm into her, grinding it slowly but firmly against her, loving the little sounds she is already making. Ever so slowly, I remove my finger and bring it to my waiting mouth. Still holding her gaze, I lick he juices off my finger, only closing my eyes at the intensity of her flavor.

"Now Eric, no more playing. Make me come." She begs breathlessly.

I immediately return to her center, wasting no time replacing my finger, as I place my mouth over her clit. I flick my tongue over it once, groaning myself this time. Her hips buck and I reach up with my free hand to hold her still. I begin to work my finger inside her, curling it and pumping it, adding another finger when I can feel that she is ready for it. I slowly stretch her inner walls, getting her ready to accommodate the size of my cock. The whole time I'm working her pussy with my fingers, I am licking, sucking and flicking her clit. Her breathing picks up, becoming erratic, and I have to use a little more force to hold her hips still. I pick up the speed of both my fingers and my tongue, and I'm rewarded by her hands grasping a hold of my hair and tugging it a bit.

"Oh God, Eric! Oh yes! That's so good!" Sookie's voice is husky and raspy, filled with passion.

I hum an acknowledgement, her clit still in my mouth, causing a new round of bucking and moaning from Sookie. I can feel her walls beginning to tighten around my fingers, so I pull them out, replacing them this time with my tongue. I work her clit with my thumb and forefinger, gently pinching and pulling, while I plunge my tongue deep into her sopping wet hole, lapping up her juices as she starts climbing towards her climax. I work her pussy faster, moving into a pleasing rhythm; bring her closer to the edge. Suddenly she reaches her release, screaming my name in ecstasy. Her body spasms around my tongue, flooding my mouth with her fluids, and I greedily lick up every drop, savoring her essence.

"Eric, bite me." She cries out to me as the last of her tremors are coursing through her body.

"Oh God, Sookie, you have no idea how much I want to, but I can't." I groan into her thigh, feeling her pulse tease my weakening willpower.

She instantly shoots up on the bed into an upright seated position. "WHAT?" she screeches.

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**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

Major thanks goes out to Misticbutterfly for her amazing help with this chapter. I couldn't get the fight scene quite right and she came to the rescue with her amazing ability to slay a certain vampire.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Eric POV**

"Eric, bite me." She cries out to me as the last of her tremors are coursing through her body.

"Oh God, Sookie, you have no idea how much I want to, but I can't." I groan into her thigh, feeling her pulse tease my weakening willpower.

She instantly shoots up on the bed into an upright seated position. "WHAT?" she screeches.

"Trust me Sookie; there is a very good reason why I can't." I sigh, knowing that any hopes I had of fucking her flew out the window the second she asked me to bite her. I back away from the crux of her thighs and stand up, walking away from her heated scent. I need to put some distance between us if I plan on having this discussion correctly.

"Would you care to enlighten me as to what this reason is?" She asks, quirking her eyebrow in my direction.

"If I take your blood again, it will create a blood bond between us." I say honestly.

"That doesn't sound like such a big deal. Isn't that what happened the other two times?"

"No, this is quite different." I pause slightly, trying to gauge her reaction to this, and then I continue to explain, "As with any type of magic, three is a very powerful number. The third time we exchange blood, a bond forms between us. It would be unbreakable Sookie, and I don't want to force something like that on you without asking you if that's what you want. You need to understand the consequences if you were to choose this."

She's quiet for a few minutes, absorbing what I have told her. "Okay, so here's a stupid question. By 'unbreakable', I'm assuming that you mean permanent, right? What all would that mean for us?"

"Yes, it would be permanent. It would bind us together in a way that nothing in the mortal world would. In essence, we would be wed. It would mean that I would have certain… obligations, in regards to your welfare. Not to mention that we would always be able to tell how the other was feeling, where the other is at all times and we can send our emotions to each other. Because of my age, I would be able to suppress the emotions, or close the bond down, if you will. I'm not sure if you would be able to right away, but if you choose to bond with me, I will teach you how." I tell her, surprised at the fact that I feel a bit anxious to see what her reaction to this might be.

She gets up from the bed, wearing nothing but her white lace bra, crossing the room and entering her bathroom. When she shuts the door behind her, I feel like she is shutting the door on my offer, though I know that may not be the case. I decide to give her a bit of space, so I head back outside to take care of some 'housekeeping' matters. I had noticed the other night when Sookie and I had our talk there was an old broom standing in the corner of the front porch; I hope that it is still there. I step through the door and see the broom. I pick it up and walk over to the pile of ashes formerly known as Bill just to the left of her door and begin awkwardly sweeping them away. I find that it is easy to let my mind wander while doing this.

_I remembered each and every time I had ever touched Sookie, sexual or not. I think back to every conversation we had ever had, and remembered with clarity all of our letters fondly. Every time I raced to her side, protecting her from some type of harm, real or imagined. I think back, trying to pinpoint exactly when I gave my heart to this woman. I know with certainty that I coveted her the very first moment I saw her, but it wasn't love than, merely greed. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized that this woman was unique, telepathy aside. I started to seek out reasons to see her, becoming more and more protective over her. _

_I panicked when her and Bill went to Dallas to help Stan find his missing nest-mate, and risked my own safety to make sure that no harm would come to her. Even though Bill was with her, he never looked after her well-being – in my opinion – and I didn't want to lose her even then. I told myself that it was her services that were valuable to me, not necessarily her, but even then I knew she was special. When Bill left her to travel to Mississippi, I thought that I would finally have the opportunity to fuck her, thinking that it would get her out of my system, like Pam suggested I do. Then Bill got kidnapped, and everything was thrown up in the air. Sookie was hurt by the prospect that Bill intended to leave her, and still, she agreed to help us find him. Her strength of character was proven during that trip, if nothing had proven it to me before then. She not only saved Bill's life during her time there, she saved the life of another vampire, one she didn't even know. But__when she was staked, I felt my unmoved heat break, willingly and gladly take her place, sparing her the pain I knew she was feeling. Then, holding her in my arms, covered in her blood and yet not being affected by it, I was determined that this frail woman would be mine._

I raise my eyes from the floorboards of her porch, looking out into the vastly wooded yard. I _can't_ pinpoint a specific moment when I fell in love with Sookie, just that I am in love with her. I fell over time, slowly needing her more and more. The letters cemented it though. I gave so much of myself in those letters, letting her see me, the true me, throughout the centuries, and in turn, she gave herself to me. Granted, I didn't give her my darkness in those letters, but I didn't gloss over it either. Sookie knew me better than any other being on Earth, and yet, she still invites me in; into her home, her life, and hopefully her heart.

I smile to myself, suddenly remembering the roses and chocolates sitting in the front seat of my car. I step off the porch, cringing when I notice the state of my baby. I forgot that I tore the door off in my haste to rescue Sookie from Bill. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. I call Bobby Burman, the only person I trust with the care of my corvette. I give him instructions to pick up my car in the morning and have it repaired as soon as possible. I also instruct him to call a construction crew to replace Sookie's front porch, since it lay in mostly rubble along with the stake that I killed Bill with. Once I hang up the phone, I reach into the car and grab my offering for Sookie.

I walk back to the front door and hesitate. I'm not sure if I should just walk in, or if I should wait for her on the porch. Just as I begin to think about this, the front door opens and Sookie is standing in the doorway in her robe for the second time tonight. She looks at me with apprehension etched on her face. Her eyes meet mine, and I see her body visibly relax. I open my mouth to say something, anything really, when she launches herself into my arms. I catch her, dropping the roses and chocolate to the ground. I lift her face to mine, and kiss her. I pour every ounce of my love for her into that kiss, hoping that she will return it. Eternity will not be enough time to spend with her. She breaks the kiss and drops her face into the crook of my neck.

"I thought you left." She breathes into my skin. "I opened the door and you weren't there, and I figured you had decided that I wasn't worth sticking around for."

"I could never leave you Sookie, never. I will be here, by your side, for as long as you want me. Even should you decide one day that you don't want me, I will never abandon you. All you need to do is call for me, and I will protect you." I say to her.

I feel her stiffen at my words, and I set her on her feet gently. She takes my hand, interlacing her fingers with mine, and pulls me to the stairs with her. "Eric, please sit with me, we need to talk."

I sit down next to her on the porch steps, but I find I need more contact than simply holding her hand. I pull her onto my lap so she is sitting across it. I wrap my arms around her, refusing to let her go, hoping that this 'talk' will go much better than the one we just had little more than 30 minutes ago.

"Eric, before I make a decision about this bond thing, there are a few things we need to discuss. I realize that you are a sheriff, and not used to explaining yourself, or putting yourself in a vulnerable position, so please, humor me for a few minutes."

"Sookie, Dear one, I will give you anything I can, even if it is the very means to destroy me. I will answer your questions as well as I can, and as truthfully as I am able to."

"Do you want to bond with me, Eric? Are you willing to bind yourself to a simple _human_ woman?" She asks quietly.

I turn her body so that she is straddling my lap, her face inches away from mine, and look her in the eyes. "Sookie, you are no 'simple woman'. You are extraordinary. You constantly amaze and surprise me with your fierce courage and your determination. You are a warrior, a woman who willing goes to battle to protect those she cares for. I have never seen you back down from a fight, nor have I seen you run from adversity. You are a true and loyal friend and I respect the hell out of that. Yes, I want to bond with you, but not unless you understand that it is forever. It's a step that you can't undo. I don't want to force you into it, or we will both be miserable, but I do want it." I brush as strand of hair from her face and kiss her gently. "I want to make you mine in every way that counts. I want to possess your body and own your heart. I want to make love to you every night. I want to fight with you, just so we can make up. I want to be the reason behind your smile. I want to know what you're thinking, just because I can, even if you think it's silly or stupid. I want to be a major part of your life, just as you are mine. I can't think about anything else lately. Sookie, I want you, all of you, forever."

"Oh, Eric, I want that too. I want it so bad I can taste it, but I need to know how you feel about me, not what you feel. I need to hear the words Eric. I need to hear that you love me. Without them, this is all nothing but words. Tell me Eric. I believe you feel the same way I do, but I need to hear you say it before I make my decision. I love you, Eric, but do you love me?"

I slowly raise my hands up her arms to either side of her neck, caressing her as I move them. I stop when I am holding her face between my hands, cupping her cheeks in my palms. I gently tilt her chin upwards, bringing her lips to mine. I kiss her sweetly, tasting her lips individually, sucking the bottom one into my mouth, then releasing it and replacing it with the top one. I let my tongue trace the contours of her mouth for a few lazy seconds before she parts her lips, granting my tongue entrance into her mouth. Our tongues meet and dance together in perfect rhythm. I feel the love that she is offering me as our tongues start to mate, entwining themselves together. I break away from the kiss enough to trail my lips across her cheek to her ear.

"Yes, Sookie, I do. I love you as I have loved no other my entire life. I have spent a thousand years searching for you. A thousand years waiting for you. A thousand years wanting you. Do I love you? Oh yes Sookie, yes I love you. I _love_ you. I love _you_." And with those words, I placed my life in her hands.

"Take me back inside Eric, make love to me now. I need you." She whispers in my ear, punctuating each word with little tongue swipes to my flesh.

She certainly doesn't need to ask me twice. I pick her up and set her on her feet as I stand up. I grab her hand and we turn to face the door. She sees the roses and chocolates on the floor, and stops to pick them up.

"Are these for me?" she asks.

"The color symbolizes…" I start to tell her about the colors when she cuts me off.

"Friendship that has turned into love, I know. They have always been my favorite roses, but I have never gotten them from anyone before. I always dreamed that the man who was my 'Mr. Right' would bring these to me, and here you are, with _my_ roses. It couldn't be more perfect Eric. Or should I call you Mr. Right?"

I smirk at her, winning one of her smiles in return. "Mr. Right works for me."

She rolls her eyes at me, grabs my hand, and drags me to the kitchen. I'm slightly confused at first, I thought we would be going to the bedroom, but as I watch her pull a vase out from under her sink, I understand what her intentions are. I watch, fascinated, as she carefully trims each stem and arranges them meticulously in the vase. When she is satisfied that each flower looks perfectly in place, she buries her nose in them, inhaling their scent. I watch her, mesmerized by the beauty of the woman before me, and I can't help touching her again. I walk over to her and place my hands on either side of her face. I lean into her, and sniff her, smelling the light scent of them that now covers her skin.

"You smell like them now. I can still smell your unique mixture of scents, but I can smell the roses too. It is almost intoxicating." I capture her mouth once again, this time pulling her body tightly against mine. I lift us off the floor, and fly to her bedroom, never breaking our kiss. As soon as my feet touch the floor, I walk us to her bed, and begin to remove her robe once again. She still isn't wearing her panties, but the bra remains in place, a problem I intend on remedying very soon. I reach around her, and flick the offending garment open, pull it down her arms, and fling it away from us.

For the first time, Sookie stands before me completely naked, and I suddenly understand Bill's madness. She is more beautiful than any treasure on earth. Her body is worthy of worshipping, and I intend to do just that. I back away from her, and begin to remove my clothing, wanting no barriers between us. As I step out of my pants, Sookie gasps lightly. I look over to her, only to find that her eyes are locked onto my cock. Her gaze is filled with passion and desire, but it looks like there is a bit of fear in them as well. I smile, knowing that I am larger than the typical man, and I actually swagger on my way back to her, causing my cock to gently sway from side to side. I let out a small chuckle as her eyes widen slightly, following the movement of my engorged member. Her eyes flash up to meet mine, as her blush creeps across her cheeks, embarrassment clearly written in her features, as she quickly looks away from my eyes.

"Do you see something that interests you, little girl?" I can't help teasing her a bit.

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**Pimpin': **I just wanted to take a minute and pimp a few of my favorite authors. If you have not read anything from **LindsayK **or **Miss Construed**, you really need to. Their stories make me HOT!

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Sookie POV**

"Do you see something that interests you, little girl?"

_The fucker is teasing me, I can't believe it. Oh wait, yes I can. It's Eric._

I watch him walk towards me, completely hypnotized by his enormous swaying cock.

"Oh Yes, Mr. Right, I sure do." I try to sound like a young, innocent girl. I smile when I see his cock twitch. "But I didn't know that they got that big."

_Uh oh. He's smirking now, this might get really fun. _I inwardly shutter at the thought.

"Oh, you seem like such a sweet little girl, would you like me to teach you about love?" He croons to me.

"Do you know an awful lot about love, Mr.?" I ask him in the same voice as before.

I gasp as his eyes lose their playfulness, instantly becoming dark and hooded with passion. "Not as much as I would like to know, Sookie. Perhaps we can teach each other."

Before I can blink, he is standing in front of me, enfolding me in his strong arms, pulling my naked body impossibly close to his.

I take a shallow breath, and shakily release it into his chest. "I want _you_ to teach me _all_ about love Eric. Please hurry."

His lips crash into mine, hungrily devouring them in his rush to teach me how to love him properly, and I can't help but respond under his tutelage. As our embrace becomes more heated, I feel an ache start to coil within my abdomen, winding its way almost painfully down to my lady bits. I whimper, partly in pain and partly in anticipation. I truly can believe that my body has been waiting for his my entire life. Even with the difference in our heights, our bodies fit together almost as if they were made each other.

His hands travel around my body in different directions. His right hand works its way into my hair, winding the golden tresses around his fingers, tugging and tilting my head back ever so gently, allowing him access to my neck. He begins to trail tender kisses along my jaw line, sucking a little just below my earlobe, lightly flicking the side of my throat with his cool tongue. He lazily laps at my flesh as his mouth descends to my collar bone, taking some extra care to properly lave the dip at the base of my throat. The touch of his skin, his lips, and his tongue are sending searing hot waves of electricity coursing through my veins on a collision course with that sensitive bit of flesh between my legs.

As Eric continues the assault to my neck, his left hand caresses it way down my back, expertly finding the curve of my ass cheek. Eric groans as he gently squeezes it, then, begins to massage it thoroughly before reaching over to the other globe, repeating his delicious brand of torture. My hands begin their own journey across the muscles of his shoulders and back, feeling the cool silkiness of his skin. I can feel nothing but pure perfection; every time he moves, the muscles seem to glide under my fingers.

After a few minutes of being touched and tasted, I feel his hand move slowly from around my ass to cup just underneath it. As his fingers slowly inch toward my neither region, I stiffen, trying to figure out exactly what it is he is searching for, not entirely comfortable with the possible placement of those fingers. I may not be terribly experienced, but I have read a ton of smutty novels, and I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of play.

"Um, Eric...?" I start tentatively, but he interrupts me before I can say anything else.

"Relax Lover; I will not do anything that you're not comfortable with. I'm merely trying to reposition your legs so that I can give your sweet little pussy some much needed attention." And with that he releases my hair, now using both hands on my lower body.

He glides his fingertips down the back of my leg, cupping just underneath the back of my knee, and lifts it up, placing my foot on the end of the bed. He traces the muscles of my inner thigh, slowly, agonizingly making his way back upwards to my now glistening folds. His fingers ghost over me and through the small copse of curls that sparsely cover my mound, tugging gently at them on his quest to find the very top of my slit. Once he finds it, he uses a single finger to ply it open, searching for the tiny bundle of nerves hiding within it. As his finger makes playful contact with my clit, a jolt of electricity shoots through my body, from my clit, to my brain and finally straight to my inner walls, causing them to clench in anticipation. I moan softly yet huskily as Eric's finger becomes more forceful, rubbing and twirling around my rapidly swelling nub, causing my knees to weaken and my legs to shake. Eric gently lowers me to the bed, placing me on my back; his finger never breaking contact.

"Eric, please, I'm begging. Make love to me. You can be slow and gentle next time, but I need you inside me now." I whimper to him, grasping his shoulders in an attempt to pull him down to me.

"Shush now, Lover, I have waited a thousand years to feel your body meld with mine, you can wait a few more minutes." He leans down and whispers into my ear, "I intend to worship every inch of your body before I'm finished. Trust me, Dear One; you will enjoy this as much as I do." While he is saying this, he removes his finger from my body. Before I can fully mourn this monumental loss, he dips his finger into my wet core, exploring my insides with his touch. He begins moving his thumb over my sensitive clit, and I immediately forget why I wanted to hurry _this_ in the first place.

I decide that maybe he's right; my body _could_ use a little more worshipping. I'm even contemplating singing the Hallelujah Choir chorus when I hear him humming his own tune softly to himself. It sounds vaguely familiar but I can't for the life of me place it. I don't want to be concentrating on something as stupid as a song when I can be enjoying a multitude of new sensations rippling through my body, so I simply decide to ask him what it is.

"What song are you humming Eric? It sounds familiar."

He lifts away from me only to look into my eyes. "It's a song that I remembered from the seventies that just seems to fit perfectly with the way I feel about you. Every time I think of you, it's like a soundtrack that plays in the back of my mind. It's called 'If I could save time in a bottle'. Would you like me to sing it to you?" His voice becomes lower, the huskiness of it proving to be sexier than anything I have ever heard before.

"Would you?" I ask him breathlessly, looking into his beautiful blue eyes.

He bends down and places a hot kiss just blow my belly button, sweeping the tip of his tongue around it before lifting his mouth from my stomach. Looking into my eyes, he starts singing in a beautifully clear baritone:

"_If I could save time in a bottle_

_The first thing that I'd like to do_

_Is to save every day_

_Till Eternity passes away_

_Just to spend them with you"_

His fingers never stop working my pussy walls, and he punctuates each sentence with another kiss or flick of his tongue, journeying from my belly to my breasts. His free hand reaches up to cup my breast, tweaking my nipple until it hardens. He then reaches over to the other one, repeating his movements. When his tongue reaches the valley between them, he stops singing and resumes his humming, while he captures one nipple, then another in his heated mouth. The vibration against my puckered peaks is more than I can bear, and I arch my back, shoving my breast farther into his mouth. Just as I think he has given up on the song, he lifts his head, releasing my nipple with a 'pop'.

"_If I could make nights last forever_

_If words could make wishes come true_

_I'd save every night like a treasure and then,_

_Again, I would spend them with you"_

I can tell that he isn't just repeating a bunch of words, but that he's actually telling me how he feels, he's making these words his own. He's filling each part of the song with his love, showing me with his mouth and his hands that I am more to him than just a simple fangbanger. I can feel the words melting my heart, and it would seem that my heart drains directly into my core, because the wetness there is definitely increasing the more he sings to me. I feel him add another finger inside me, stretching me, plunging them in and out of me in a tormentingly slow rhythm.

"_But there never seems to be enough time_

_To do the things you want to do_

_Once you find them" _

His mouth has finally returned to my neck once again. He places open mouthed kisses along the artery that lines the side of my neck, again stopping to taste my skin right above the pulse point located there. I hear him moan quietly, and I try to decide if I'm ready to let him feed from me. After hearing what it will mean for us, I know that I need to be certain that it's what I want. While I am thinking about this, I feel Eric's cool breath on my ear. He whispers the next part of the song directly into my ear, making sure that I understand the emotions he has embedded in the borrowed words.

"_I've looked around enough to know_

_That you're the one I want to go_

_Through time with"_

"Sookie, you aren't just some woman I am wasting time with. I knew the second I saw you that you were going to be very important in my life. It has been just under a year since that night, when Bill brought an innocent girl into my bar, but it seems like both seconds and an eternity have passed since then. Time has stopped flowing normally for me when you are near. Keeping you alive has become my first priority, because I don't want to live in a world without you in it." He whispers to me, as he introduces yet another finger, this time picking up the pace.

I can feel my climax building, threatening to consume me. At the first tightening of my walls, Eric speeds up the movement of his thumb, rubbing me faster and harder, carrying me to the peak of pleasure. I willingly follow and fling myself over the edge, shaking and trembling at the power of my orgasm. Eric continues to pump his fingers into me, slowing as the tremors subside, helping me ride out the miniature shock waves still coursing through my body. He bends down, his face between my legs, lapping at the juices that have escaped during his thorough ministrations. His tongue gliding over my now supersensitive clit sends my body into another climax, my body convulsing, my legs clamping tightly to either side of his face. Again, he helps me ride it out, this time using his mouth, sucking my clit and cleaning all my fluids away. His hands gently caress up and down my outer thighs, relaxing them enough for him to remove his head. The smile I see on his face lets me know that he too enjoyed my unexpected 'surprise'. He smirks at me, and then begins singing once again, this time looking into my eyes.

"_If I had a box just for wishes_

_And dreams that had never come true_

_That box would be empty_

_Except for the memory_

_Of how they were answered by you"_

He tenderly lowers his body over mine, placing the tip of his cock at my still wet entrance. Not wanting to wait any longer, I tilt my hips up, impaling myself on his twitching dick. I gasp at the sudden fullness, feeling more than hearing him do the same. I feel complete. Forget fireworks and earthquakes, they have nothing on this. I feel as if the earth and the moon have just fallen into perfect alignment, the stars are all in the right spot, and we are exactly where we are supposed to be. It just feels like this is _right_. Before he can begin to move, I place my hand squarely on his chest halting him.

"Do it Eric. I want you. I want you to take my blood. I believe that we are supposed to be together. What does it matter if we do this today, tomorrow or ten years from now? This is right, this is what I want. I don't want to wait anymore; I want to be with you, as close to you as I can be. Please Eric." I say this without breaking eye contact as I try to convey all of my love for him through my eyes, letting him know that I want this too.

"Are you sure, Sookie, absolutely sure? We can wait. I don't want you to do this for me; I want you to do it because you want to."

"I'm sure Eric. I do want this."

With my words, he gives an ear piercing Viking victory cry, and grabs my hips. He pulls out of me, only to plunge back in deeper than before. He sets up a galloping rhythm, plunging and pulling, slamming and sliding in and out of me. If I hadn't just had a huge dose of very potent vampire blood, I don't think I would be able to enjoy his feverish fucking. But I did, and OH MY GOD!, am I ever enjoying it.

"Harder, Eric, deeper! Oh YES! Fuck me!" I scream at him.

He moves his hands from my hips to my waist, pulling me tighter to him, plunges in once, then pulls out. Before I can properly frown, he flips me onto my hands and knees in front of him. I turn slightly, to see his hungry eyes gazing upon me. I watch as he caresses my hip once again, while he strokes his cock with the other, lining it up with my now empty pussy. Placing the tip at my entrance, he places his other hand on my free hip, then pulls me back onto him. I scream out, bombarded by the new sensations, as his cock slams into my backside. He falls to all fours over me, placing his hands besides mine on the bed, and continues pumping into me.

His cock is hitting my sweet spot, and I can feel my fourth orgasm of the night barreling towards me. Just as I think it's about to throw me over the edge, Eric pulls the both of us into a kneeling position. He pulls one of my legs up so that my foot is resting on the mattress; all the while he is still connected and thrusting into my core. It's just enough to stave off the orgasm so that he has time to nuzzle my neck, finding the spot where my pulse is the strongest. He brings his right arm to his mouth and bites down on his wrist to open a small wound, and holds it to my lips, offering himself to me. I flick my tongue out, tasting his essence, before latching on. He returns his lips to my neck, and the second his fangs pierce my skin, my climax crashes into me. The first pull of sweet suction sends me soaring higher than I've ever experienced before, and I begin to suck at his wrist in earnest now. I feel Eric's cock swell and stiffen briefly before he comes. I feel it as it streams out of him, filling my pussy with his seed.

Suddenly I feel something, some part of me, that I never knew existed before. It is a whole other dimension of feeling, lust, love, satisfaction, smugness, and victory. As these foreign emotions swirl around in my head, I realize that they aren't mine, they're Eric's. This must be the bond between us. Tentatively, I reach out through it, and attempt to send him something of my own. I try to show him the depth of my love for him and I can tell the second he feels it. He lifts his head from my neck, licking the wound, healing it for me. He wraps his arms around me, pulling my body tightly to his, and I can feel him smile into my hair.

"Now, you are mine," he whispers softly, "just as I am yours. You owned my heart before this, Lover, now you also possess my very soul. I can offer you nothing else that compares to this. I will cherish this moment, your love for me, until our own eternity passes away." With these words, he lifts me up off of him and lays me down on the bed. He lies down beside me, pulling the covers up over our bodies, and holds me tightly. "Tomorrow we need to speak of our future, but for now you need to sleep." He lightly caresses my cheek as he speaks.

"But," I start to protest.

"Tomorrow, my Lover, tomorrow we can work out all of the details." He whispers in my ear, while rubbing light circles on my back, lulling me to sleep.

I fall asleep with a smile on my face and my gorgeous Viking in bed beside me, knowing that anything I might dream of today can ever compete with the reality of our first night together.

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**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	7. 300 reviews bonus chapter

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**300 Reviews Reached Bonus Chapter**

**Sookie POV**

I glance down at my cell phone to see what time it is, trying to stifle yet another yawn. It's not even 11:00 yet, and I'm already bored out of my mind. I hate coming to Fangtasia on nights that Eric has to work. He's either stuck in his office, dealing with all the Vampire politic bullshit that I hate, or he's stuck out on the floor, 'enthralling the vermin' as he likes to call it. Either way, there's nothing for me to do except sit here in this booth, by myself, until either he or Pam takes pity on me and keeps me company. I'm so lost in my own self pity, that I don't even realize that I'm no longer alone. I look over at the seat across from me, to see that Pam is giving me a strange look.

"You hardly seem yourself tonight, Sookie. Are you not feeling well?" she asks me, actually looking a bit concerned.

"No, I'm fine, just really bored." I answer her.

"Bored? Well, we can fix 'bored'." Pam smiles at me, her eyes sparkling mischievously, "Wait here for one moment."

With that, she uses her super vamp speed to rush to Eric's throne. When she leans down to whisper into his ear, his eyes sprang to my face, concerned. His concern soon turns to intrigue, and then his look becomes heated, more lustful. I can see my favorite smirk begin to take up residence across his lips, as he nods and says something to Pam. During his short conversation with her, his eyes are locked with mine never wavering. He dismisses her, and I watch her walk away from him. When I return my gaze to his face, he is no longer looking at me, but I can still see that he is smiling. I wonder what that smile will mean for me.

Pam walks up to Chow, one of the bartenders, and is speaking to him now. He nods his head and briefly looks in my direction, before turning and heading to the main entrance of the club. I watch him walk out the door, once again wondering what the heck is going on. Just as I am wondering, Pam slides into the booth next to me.

"So, shall we attend to your boredom, or would you rather stay here?" she asks.

"What were you talking to Eric about?" I ask without answering her question.

"I was just making sure that he wouldn't mind if I borrowed you for a bit, to relieve your boredom. He agreed that it really is a shame, and said that I should do _whatever_ it takes to make sure that you are _thoroughly _entertained."

"What are you talking about Pam? I planned on sitting here until Eric is done sitting on his throne, then I think we're going to head back to my house for the evening."

"Actually, you and I are going to a hidden room off of Eric's office, and he will be joining us when he's ready."

"What?" I sputter, unable to control the sudden shiver of anxiety traveling down my spine.

"Remember that night I kissed you, Sookie, and you kissed me back? I wanted to do so much more to you, but I knew that it wasn't the right time. You were so angry and hurt, and I knew that anything we did together would be something that you would later regret. Even then, I knew that you were special to my master and that if I just waited, I too would get my chance to be with you." She answered.

"Uh-huh, I remember. But Pam, I don't know if I'm ready to try something like that. Besides that kiss, I've never done anything with another girl before." I say to her, more than a little scared.

She grabs my hand, leading me towards Eric's office, and says "It'll be alright, Sookie, I won't force you to do anything you don't like. You can tell me to stop at any point, and I will. But really, I don't think you'll be stopping anything anytime soon." She turns around and winks at me, her signature smirk firmly in place.

_Shit, that wink did some crazy stuff to my panties, making them damp all of a sudden._

I follow her as she gently tugs on my hand. We enter the office and she walks us to the closet, pausing only to push firmly on the side wall. A gasp escapes my lips as the wall swings aside to reveal a staircase. As we traverse the stairs, I start to feel a bit apprehensive about all this. I mean, I'm not a lesbian, and I've certainly never done anything other than kiss another woman. Could I really do this? I think I'm about to find out.

We reach the bottom of the stairs only to find another closed door, only this one has a numerical keypad next to it. Pam punches in some super long number and the door clicks open. When we enter the room, I can only stare in amused horror. Seriously, it is the epitome of every "sex" room I have ever heard of or seen in movies. There is a giant four poster bed with chins and rings fastened to each post. There is a "toy box", really a shelving unit, proudly displaying literally hundreds of sexual devices, some of which I have never seen before. And trust me, being telepathic, I have seen everything- well, almost everything. There is even this life-sized hot pink fist. Come on! I mean really, like that could fit anywhere, right? Besides the toys, there is a whole open closet stuffed full of costumes, some seemingly normal, and some that could barely qualify as dental floss.

I walk over to the closet, rifling through the clothing, for lack of a better word, when I feel a pair of hands grasp my hips. I look down, and see Pam perfectly manicured hands wrapping themselves around my waist, making their way to my stomach. Slowly, they reach the button on my jeans, and undo it. One hand pulls open my zipper, and slides them down my legs, while the other slips into the front of my panties. Before I can breathe in, I feel the tip of her nail flick my clit once before her finger glides past it, searching for something else. Just that little flick has sent tingles cascading through my traitorous body causing a bit of moisture to seep out to my lower lips. Her fingers deftly plunder my folds, finding the dampness there. She begins to spread my fluids around, coating my pussy, allowing her fingers to move more freely. Just as I'm starting to get more comfortable with her hand caressing me so intimately, she slowly pushes the tip of one finger into my entrance, eliciting a moan from my throat, proving that I was truly beginning to enjoy this as well.

After a few more seconds of allowing her fingers to explore my inner sanctum, Pam withdraws her fingers from my underwear. She brings them to her waiting lips, sucking my flavor from them. Hesitantly, I stretch my own hand up to touch her mouth, twining my fingers with hers, as she continues to suck each one in turn. I can feel myself getting more and more excited with each swirl of her tongue around my fingertips. I moan again, and feel more than hear her answering chest rumble. She touches the hem of my shirt, then quickly pulls it over my head. Almost before I know what is happening, I feel myself landing gently on my back in the middle of the bed. I watch as Pam quickly removes her clothing, hanging it instead of simply letting it drop on the floor. For some reason this act amuses me, and though I try to stifle a giggle, it still escapes my lips.

She smirks at me, and then pounces playfully on the bed, landing on her knees. I watch, mesmerized, as her cream colored full breasts bounce lightly each time she moves any part of her body. Her light pink nipples are like miniature beacons, magnetically pulling my gaze towards them. I try to look away, felling like I should be ashamed that this is turning me on, but I can't bring myself to feel it. She walks on her knees towards me, and I allow my eyes to lower to the slight concavity of her belly. I reach out my hand, caressing the cool yet supple flesh I find there. I trace the cords of her muscles, making my way to her smooth mound. I am a bit surprised by this. I had always assumed that Pam would be an 'au natural' kind of woman, but the feel of that smooth skin was beyond erotic. My hand moves on its own accord, hesitantly tracing her slit, testing her moisture. I run my index finger over her clit, causing a shudder to pass through Pam's body. Feeling emboldened, I push that same finger up inside her, feeling her inner walls tighten around it. I pull my hand away, still slightly unsure of myself, and chance a glance into Pam's eyes. I see lust and passion, along with something else I can't define, but either way, it's turning me on.

Pam laughs at my reaction, raising her hand to push me back down onto the bed. I lay back, wondering what she has in store for me, just as the door opens once again. It seems that my Viking wants to join.

"What are you girls up to?" He smirks at the both of us. "I come down here, only to find you both in your lingerie, and the air is thick with the scent of your arousal. Perhaps some discipline is in order?"

"Yes Master, we really need to be punished. I have touched your mate, and she has touched me. Both offenses call for immediate retribution, whatever you think necessary." The raspy sexiness of her voice once again causes further moisture to dampen my panties.

About that time, I can hear a telephone begin to ring. I look around, but can't see it. Just as I am about to say something about the noise, I am pulled out of the room forcefully. I open my eyes, noting the bright sun streaming in my bedroom windows, and it dawns on me that the ringing is my own telephone.

_Shit. It was only a dream, but what a night it could have been._

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**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Sookie POV**

The shrill ringing of the telephone beside my bed wakes me from the most exquisite dream. I fumble around for a few seconds before I find the offending handset, and sleepily answer it.

"Hello?" I mumble, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"Sookie? Sorry, did I wake you?" the voice on the other end asks me.

"Yeah, but that's alright. What time is it?" I ask without looking at my clock.

"It's almost 11:00 am. Are you coming into work today, Sook? I need to know if you're quitting or not. Please don't quit, I need you, you're the best waitress I have." Sam almost sounds like he's begging- almost.

"I'm not sure if I quit or not, I need to think about whether or not I want to work for you anymore, Sam Merlotte. I _do_ know that I'm _not_ coming in _today_; you'll have to call someone else to cover my shift. In fact, I think I'll need a few days to figure this out." Just thinking about what he had said to me the previous afternoon is starting to piss me off again. I'm still mad that he doesn't think I'm capable of thinking for myself, or deciding who I want to be with. He doesn't even know about the bond yet; I can only imagine what he'll say about that.

"Ok, I get that you're angry with me, but can't we work past this like we always have?"

"I'm not sure Sam, I'm mad and I'm hurt that you don't trust me."

"I understand Sook, really I do. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. Can we meet somewhere and talk this out?"

"Why don't you give me an hour to get up and moving, and we can have lunch here. I'll make some of that chicken salad you like. If you wouldn't mind stopping, could you bring some cold cokes." Damn my southern upbringing. Even though I would love nothing more than to bitch slap him for making me angry yesterday, Gran would roll over in her grave if I wasn't polite to him.

"That sounds good. I'll see you around noon." He says before hanging up the phone.

I groan as I reluctantly pull myself out of bed, my sore muscles protesting even the slightest movement. It seems that no amount of vampire blood is sufficient to deal with near death experiences, mind blowing all-night sex, and sore muscles the morning after. I make my way to the shower, turn on the water, and get in before the water has time to fully heat up.

The shocking sensation of the cool water against my warm skin causes me to jump backwards a bit, eliciting yet another painful moan. As the water heats up, I begin to wash the remnants of last night off myself. I place my head under the spray and wash every bit of dried blood out of my hair. I grab my scrubby (you know, the ball of netting us women use to scrub our bodies with, hence 'scrubby'), squeeze out some of my new Bath and Body shower gel on it, and scour myself clean. It feels wonderful to wash away all the craziness that has taken place over the last 24 hours, removing any and all reminders of Bill from my body.

_I can't believe how demented and delusional he'd become. He actually thought that I would just fall into his arms, thanking him for claiming me, after everything that he put me through. Yeah right!_

As the scent of peonies and sandalwood fill the tiny bathroom, I am reminded of Eric. It was the reason I bought this new scent, Twilight Woods. If only there was a way to shower while still leaving Eric's scent on my body, I would do it. I take one last deep breath of this steamy scent before rinsing off and stepping out of the shower to dry off.

I dress comfortably, knowing that my lunch time conversation will be anything but. I know that Sam will literally flip out when I tell him about what happened last night. Seeing as how he's a Supe, he'll probably know something happened the minute he gets out of his truck. Damn Supe senses. Sometimes being a telepath is downright freaky, but I always feel like I left my 'Spidey senses' in my other suit whenever I'm around any other supernatural beings. I mean, it's like they just know everything about me after just one sniff. It's actually kinda creepy if you ask me. But on the other hand, Eric's Spidey sense has saved me on more than one occasion, so who am I to complain too much?

As I stand at my kitchen counter dicing the chicken, onions and celery I will need to make the chicken salad for lunch, I let my mind wander back to the more pleasurable events of last night. I feel the warm moisture that begins to dampen the crotch of my cotton panties, as a wave of lust washes over me. _Where the hell did that come from?_ I haven't even begun to remember all the really good parts yet.

I can only guess that it's originating from Eric, but he should be sleeping, right? As far as I know, vampires aren't even remotely conscience at anytime during the day unless they sense they are in extreme danger, so how can I be getting anything through the bond? Almost as soon as I think about it, the feeling is gone, so I simply decide to ask Eric about it later. I finish chopping and dicing everything, add the Miracle Whip to the chicken and mix it all together. I make several sandwiches and put them in the fridge, ready for when Sam arrives.

While I'm sitting at the kitchen table, I once again bury my face in the beautiful roses that Eric brought me. I can't help but wonder at the perfection of these flowers and I try to remember if I ever told him about them being my favorites. I don't think so, so how could he have known? Then, the fact that the chocolates he brought were dark Belgian truffles; again, pure perfection. I can remember telling him about my love of fine chocolates in one of our letters, I'm just excited that he remembered it.

I had written about how my father would bring a gold colored box home every year for my mother's birthday and their anniversary. My mother would savor each and every piece, all except the dark chocolate truffles. She didn't like dark chocolate, so she let Jason and I eat them. I later found out that they were called Godiva Chocolates and are some of the best in the entire world, but sadly, they are far outside my price range. And yet, here sits one of the largest gold and brown boxes full of assorted truffles I have ever seen. There has to be at least two dozen of them in here! I don't even want to guess what he paid for these. I take a bite of a French Vanilla filled truffle and decide that any price would be worth this taste. God, I love my Viking!

Just as I start to let my mind drift back to him, I hear Sam's truck trudging towards my house. I get up just in time to meet him at the back door, holding it open to allow him in.

"Hey Sook," he says to me rather warily, taking in my attire, "You look, um, relaxed."

"I am. Since I don't have to work today, because my boss was an asshat yesterday, I figured I would be comfortable this afternoon." I can't help but rub it in a bit. Gran would've slapped me upside the head if she had heard me just now.

"I guess I had that one coming. Geez Sook, are you ever gonna forgive me, or did I just drive over here in order for you to abuse me?" He asks more than a little sarcastically.

"No, Sam, I'm sorry, but really, you were being an asshat. I'll stop abusing you long enough for us to have lunch, but I won't make any promises after that." I laugh halfheartedly, letting him know that I'm only half joking.

"Good to know that at least I'll be fed a good last meal." He jokes as he gathers me into his arms for a hug. Almost as quickly as he grabs me, he drops me, and I almost fall before I catch myself. "What did you do Sookie? Do you even know? Did he tell you what he was doing? I'll kill the fucker!"

The mask of anger that is contorting his face is starting to scare me. I watch as he raises his fisted hands, and for the first time in our seven year friendship, I'm worried that he might lose control and actually hit me. His expression changes to that of shock as he realizes that he as scared me, because he immediately lowers his hands back to his sides, but I know that his anger has not lessened.

"If you're referring to the fact that Eric and I completed our blood bond last night, then _yes_, I knew exactly what I was getting into. Eric explained the implications of it to me, and _yes_, he did give me the choice. _I_ decided to do it, _not_ him. I will tell you why and how if you will calm down. But if you can't listen to me, and let me tell you everything before you start yelling again, then you can just walk out that door Sam, and never speak to me again!"

"Speak fast, tell me everything, and then I will think about not staking him," he says with a snarl.

I let out a shaky breath before I start, trying to settle my nerves before I start. "After our argument yesterday, I came home to get ready for my date with Eric. I was supposed to meet him at Fangtasia, but he decided to surprise me by picking me up instead, and it was a good thing he was here. While I was getting ready, Bill knocked on my door." I notice that Sam starts to open his mouth to say something, breaking my explanation, so I say, "Sam, you promised to listen before you said anything."

"Sorry, go on." He growls.

"As I was saying, Bill knocked on my door, and I couldn't believe that he would have the gall to ever show his face here again. I opened the door, but I was careful to stay inside, since I had rescinded his invitation months ago. I knew that as long as he couldn't come in, he couldn't do anything, not that I was very worried. Bill has always been harmless. But when Eric pulled into the driveway, something changed in Bill's expression. I was more worried about Eric though. I didn't want him to think that I had invited Bill over and get angry at me. We are trying to start a relationship and there was Bill, acting like he had every right to be at my door. What's more, he was holding flowers, so I could only imagine what Eric might have been thinking. Without giving my own safety a thought, I stepped through the door to go to him to explain, and that's when Bill grabbed me."

About this time, I begin to see Sam start shaking, the anger vibrating throughout his extremities. His fists were tightly clinched, resting on the kitchen table. I can literally 'hear' him shouting that he wants to kill Bill for even touching me, and is trying hard as hell not to transform right there in my kitchen.

"Are you gonna be OK, or do you want me to stop?" I ask, more to reassure myself.

"No, I'm not OK, but you need to finish. Tell me what happened." This time the growl is definitely more animal than human.

"Alright, the next thing I know, Eric's car door goes flying across my yard, and Bill screamed that if he couldn't have me, then he was going to drain me so no one else could ever have me. I don't know what happened to him Sam, but he definitely lost his mind. He squeezed me so hard that he broke several of my ribs, and it hurt so bad that I passed out. Then next thing I remember is Eric trying to get Bill to release me, but instead, Bill grabbed my hair, wrenched my neck to the side, and bit me. I screamed for Eric to save me, begging him not to let Bill turn me. I couldn't stand the thought of him being my maker, nor do I want to be a vampire if I can avoid it."

I take another deep breath before continuing, chancing a glance at Sam's face. I can tell he's still angry, but at least he's no longer vibrating.

"Anyways, I passed out again, and woke up in Eric's arms. He asked me to take his blood to heal me, because Bill had done a fairly good job of nearly draining me, and breaking up my body. I drank his blood, and then he carried me inside. I'll skip over some of the more intimate details, but when I asked him to drink from me, he refused to do it. I was shocked, angry, and more than a little hurt. I asked him why he couldn't, and he explained that three times is a charm. He told me that if he drank from me, it would create a permanent bond between us, more binding than any human marriage, and that it could never be broken. He explained that we would then become obligated to each other, and that I would never be able to be away from him for long. He gave me the choice Sam; and I chose _him_. How could I not? Every time I have been in trouble, he has been there to save me. Every time I have ever needed him, he has been there, even though it could hurt him. Please don't think that this was forced on me, or that he lied to me about it, or that he is doing it for his own selfish reasons. If anything, I'm the one who's being selfish, tying him to me this way, but I don't want to live without him anymore. I don't think I could even if I tried. I love him Sam, honestly, deeply, I do." I finally look him in the eyes, and I can see that it's finally hitting him.

"So that's it then, I will never have a chance to make you happy. I could have given you everything you wanted; children, the white picket fence, everything, but you chose him. I could have loved you the way you deserve to be loved, Sookie, can't you see that? You're vampire can't do that, his position will always come first for him, you know. I'm just worried that this time I can't be there when he hurts you." He says to me, his voice sad but even.

"Oh Sam, Hon, it's never been like that between us, and you know it. I wish I could have loved you, but you're not the right person for me, just like I'm not the one for you. I tried to care for you that way, but it just didn't feel right. Yes, it would be easier, and no, Eric can't give me children, but who says I really want them? I grew up being teased by everyone; people in this town still think of me as Crazy Sookie, do I really want to take the chance of passing my disability on to an innocent child? And as far as Eric not being human, trust me, I am well aware that his mind doesn't work like a humans. But that's more than ok with me. I like that I can't hear him. This is one of the most 'real' relationships I've ever had. I can't hear him lie to me; I can't get disgusted by what he's thinking unless he actually says it out loud. It sorta makes me feel normal for once in my life. And of course, I do love him, and I believe that he loves me too."

"I get it Sook; I never really put myself out there with you. I kept waiting for the right time, and then you met Bill and got involved with all them Vamps. But even then, I figured that after a few of your more serious injuries, you'd never want to be with any of them. Eric is a pretty good guy for a vamp, but still, you need to know that when it really counts, you're literally night and day. He's not human, and he doesn't think like a human, Sook. I just wish that instead of watching and waiting all these years that I would have tried harder to be with you, but I'll get over it." He takes a deep breath as if to clear his head and continues, "But you still haven't told me why I can't kill Bill for hurting you, though I'm assuming that has something to do with Eric being there."

"Bill's already dead. Eric killed him on my front porch in order to save my life. At first I was happy that he was dead, but now… Well now I feel sorry that the Bill I knew is dead, but the vampire that died last night was not my Bill. I'm not angry that Eric killed him, but I really do wish that there had been another way. I do know that Eric tried to reason with him, only killing him when it became a choice between my life and Bills. I'm glad he chose me, for very obvious reasons."

"So am I Sook, so am I. So, do you think that you will be coming back to work, or will you be moving to Shreveport with Eric now?"

"I'm not sure, we still need to talk things over, but I'm pretty sure I'll be moving in with him. Now that we are bonded, I feel like I never want to leave his side. Until I make a decision about whether or not I want to be turned, I know that any day might be my last, and I want to be with him as much as possible."

"I understand," he says sadly. "Will you call me as soon as you reach a decision?"

"Yes, I will. Sam? You do know that you will always be one of my very dearest friends, don't you?"

"I think I'm gonna skip lunch though, if that's alright with you."

I nod, holding back my own tears. This seems like so much more than a simple good-bye. I feel like once he walks out that door, he'll be walking out of my life forever. I don't want that, and he needs to know that.

"Sam, please don't leave me. If you walk out that door, you have to promise me that you'll still be my friend."

"Sookie, you will always be my very best friend, and I'll always be there for you if you ever need me. I just wish… well, it doesn't matter now."

He starts to head for the door, but before he can get there, I throw myself into his arms. I hug him with everything I have, letting him know that in my own way, I do love him. He hugs me back, tightening his hold quickly then setting me back on my feet. He releases me, whispers good-bye, and walks out the door.

I can't hold the tears back anymore, and I collapse into one of my kitchen chairs, and cry until I didn't have any more tears. I cry because Sam is right, I am giving up my opportunity to be a mother and have a 'normal' family, even if I didn't think I would've ever had that in the first place. I cry because he is also right when he said that I would never be Eric's first priority. I cry because I am only beginning to realize what I am giving up to be with the only man I have ever really loved this intensely. But then I realize what I would be getting in return, and my tears dry up. The sun is starting to set now, and I know that Eric will be waking soon, but I just don't have the energy or body strength to move right now. So I just wait, lost in my own head, for my Viking to come save me from my inner demons.

I don't know how long I sat there, but the next thing I know, Eric is here. He bends over; gathering me into his arms and carries me to my bedroom, all the while whispering soothing words into my ear.

***0*0*0*0***

**Eric POV**

I wake up and I'm immediately aware that there is something wrong with Sookie because I can feel nothing but despondency through our bond. I bound out of Bills resting spot, hasten to get dressed, and fly to Sookie's house. I can smell the shifter, though I don't see his truck. He must have been here sometime today. If he has hurt her in anyway, I will skin him alive.

I had hoped that she would be excited, waiting for me to come to her tonight, but instead, I find her sitting almost lifelessly at her kitchen table, staring off into space. I rapidly and clinically look her over, searching for any outward signs that the shifter may have caused her any harm. Finding nothing, I scoop her into my arms and carry her to bed, murmuring comforting words into her ear. I slowly remove her clothing and place her gingerly under her blankets. I remove my clothing as well and climb in bedside her, pulling her backside into me, and begin to caress her hair. I simply hold her, stroking her face and hair, until I feel her move her ass into my hips.

"Sookie, what happened to you today? Why did I find your house reeking of that shifter and you sitting in your dark kitchen in a semi-catatonic state?"

"Cata-what-ic state? What are you saying? You have to remember, I'm a poor southern girl, not a thousand year old vampire, Eric… Speak English so I can understand you."

I can only smirk. My little Sookie is sassy even when she's depressed. "I asked you why you were sitting in your dark kitchen, staring at nothing and non-responsive when I tried to get your attention. You had me worried that the shifter had done something to you. Did he?"

"No Eric, he didn't. In fact, other than wanting to kill you and then Bill, he didn't do much of anything besides remind me what being with you might mean for my future." She replies rather cryptically.

I snort angrily, and try not to let any of my anger flow through the bond so as not to scare my lover. "As if he could even touch me. But you need to explain the comment about 'your future'. Please." _Did I just say please? I never ask for anything._

She giggles a bit before the frown returns to her face. I would give anything to make her happy, so I start to caress her arm and her shoulder, trying to rub some of the tension out of them.

"He reminded me that I will never be able to have children with you and that I will never be able to live a normal life. Plus, he said that there will always be the possibility of death as long as I am wrapped up in your world." I feel her shoulders tense up once again, but then, so do mine this time.

"He said that to you? Sookie, do you regret making this decision? If you do, I will let you leave me. We cannot sever the bond between us, but I can shut it down enough for you to be able to live as much of a life as you want. I will do whatever it takes to ensure your happiness. All you have to do is tell me what you want." It agonizes me to say this to her, but I know that she needs to be happy and damn my own feelings.

"You, Eric, I need you. At one time, I thought I might want children, but I don't need them. I don't need to live a 'normal' life, I never had one before, so that doesn't bother me too much. And as far as facing death on a daily basis, well, I figure that's where you can take care of me. But Eric, I _NEED_ to love you, just as I _need_ you to love me, I _need_ to care for you, and protect what we have between us. I _need_ to be beside you, always. Other than you, I don't need anything else. Before this afternoon, I hadn't had time to realize what I would be giving up to be part of your world. But it doesn't matter to me, only this, us," she waves her tiny hand between our two bodies to simulate or new bond, "matters anymore. And no, Sam did not say any of this to me. He told me that he could have loved me, and asked me if I was sure that I had made the right decision. I did, I promise. I'm done crying over what will never be."

With that, she begins to wiggle her bottom up against my growing erection, the friction speeding its growth rate. Before things can get too heated, I want to make sure that she is going to be alright. I gently pull back from her and roll her to her back and rise up on one elbow so I can see her face. I look into her eyes, searching for any sign of regret within their depths. Upon finding none, I breathe a proverbial sigh of relief.

"If you want children, Lover, you can have them. You can have as many as you want. Sookie, there are so many ways for you to have children, and most of them don't need any help from me, other than signing a check or two. Single women have babies all the time nowadays, so please don't feel like you can't. I'll give you anything your heart desires, because the only thing mine desires is your happiness." I begin to trace circles on her belly, imagining a child, my child, growing in her womb, swelling her stomach, and I desperately wish I could give it to her.

"No, I don't want to have children. Honestly, I don't really think I ever did. I think it was just a shock today to realize that it will never happen with us. I don't want to take the chance of bringing a child into this world that would have to suffer like I did growing up if this telepathy is genetic."

"My sweet selfless Sookie, you do realize that our child would never have the same troubles that you did, don't you? We would make sure that he or she is taught at an early age how to use it and control it, not to mention that it would be in a school full of Supes who face the same problems every day. Don't take the option off the table simply because we haven't fully thought it through yet. We have a while to discuss it. Is that the only thing that you're worried about? What you're giving up?"

"I know that it seems silly to you, but I will be giving up my entire life just to be with you, and it doesn't seem silly to me."

"You're right, it's not silly. But think about this for a second. What kind of life are you really giving up, and how much of it do you really need to give up? Now add to that what you might be getting in return. I'm not asking you to give up your friends or your sunlight. I would like you to give up your job, but that's because I want to take care of you. There's also the tiny detail of how your continuing to work will look to the other vampires in my area, as well as to the Queen. If you continue to work, it will look as if I either refuse to support you or that I am unable to. Trust me, Dear One, when I say that money is not an issue for me. And as far as I am concerned, for all intents and purposes, you are my wife, and as such, you now have access to everything that is mine."

"Are you really that rich Eric? Rich enough to take care of me, without me having to work?"

"What I am goes beyond rich; _we_ are what is referred to as infinitely wealthy. You will never be able to spend it all, and even if you had 50 children, they wouldn't be able to spend it all, nor would their children. I think we'll be fine without your paycheck, however, I will not tell you to quit your job; that needs to be your decision."

"I love you Eric. Thank you for listening to me and my stupid worries."

"They're not stupid. It's what you're worried about, and I will always have the time to listen to you, no matter how stupid you think something may be." I say to her before I smirk at her and say in my sexiest voice, "Though now there is something else I would like to listen to…"

"Mmmmhmmm, and what would that be, Mr. Right?"

Sookie's eyes begin to twinkle in anticipation of my answer, and I don't intend to disappoint her. "I want to hear you moaning my name and calling me a Viking Sex God like you did last night." I tease as I trail my fingers between her legs. She isn't very wet yet, but I certainly know how to remedy that. I slowly drag my fingers up her slit, almost, but never quite touching her clit, then back down to her entrance to tease her with a fingertip, then I move my fingers away again. Before long, she is gasping and panting my name, begging to feel my fingers inside her, arching her back and hips, trying to fuck them herself. I decide to give in and plunge two fingers deeply into her core, causing her to immediately cry out in pleasure. I can feel how tight her pussy walls are, already clenching around my fingers, and I know that it won't be long before she reaches her first release. I know that I need to make love to her tonight, mostly to reassure her of my love for her, but I don't think it will be happening this time. I roughly withdraw my fingers from her, and grab her hands, holding them above her head.

"From the very first time I saw you, I have wanted to fuck you, rub myself all over you, and bite you. Tonight, there will be no doubt that you are mine. You will enjoy every bit of it, as will I. Then when our lust is sated and we have rested, I will make love to you." I say to her as I enter her, fully sheathing myself within her moist center in one long hard stroke.

"Oh FUCK! Eric, do it again!" she screams out.

Not one to disappoint, I pull out only to ram my cock back into her. Again she screams my name. I continue like this until she is no longer screaming, but is moaning continuously. I release her hands, only to grab her hips and lift them off the bed, allowing my cock to push in deeper, hitting her G spot on the first try. I move a hand behind her shoulder blades and lift her breasts to my mouth, intent on drawing out her orgasm so it is more enjoyable for her. I flick her nipple once with my tongue before piercing her succulent breast with my fangs, pulling her tantalizingly unique nectar into my mouth and into my body. I have never tasted anyone so sweet, and my head begins to swirl with intense emotions I have not felt for over a thousand years. Within seconds, her walls clamp down tightly around my cock, milking my own climax from me unexpectedly. I cry out as well, unable to hold my own voice down.

"Only you, Sookie, only you can do this to me" I say as I collapse, careful not to fall directly on her. I pull a very limp yet satisfied and smiling Sookie to my side. Before we can both drift off to sleep for a while, I tell her that the queen contacted me and is requesting our combined services. She asks me what I told her, and I respond by saying that we will discuss it more when we are both a little more coherent.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**Eric POV**

For the last thirty minutes, I have been staring at Sookie's delectable neck - at the very bite mark that bonded us – as she sleeps. I can hear her heart rhythmically beating as her chest rises and falls with each breath. She turns slightly, turning her head towards me and sighs softly. I reach my hand out to move a stray hair that has fallen across her bare chest. As I move the strand, my Lover's eyes finally open again. She looks absolutely delicious upon awakening, and I can't help but run my tongue up the very spot on her neck I had been staring at. Doing so causes her to moan, which in turn causes my not so little friend to jump to attention. Sookie reaches down to caress it, gripping it with just the right amount of pressure, making me even harder.

"_This_" she emphasizes with a squeeze, "is so big Eric, it's definitely a gracious plenty. Hey, I think that's what I'm going to call it from now on." She says, looking like she's proud of herself for coming up with such a ridiculous name.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Dear One, but there is no way you're calling my rod of manhood something as feminine as 'gracious plenty.' Besides, _it_ already has a name." I say to her.

"Really, you named it?"

"Of course I named it. It has been such an integral part of who I have been for the past thousand years, I had to call it something." I smile, thinking about how appropriate the name really is.

"OK Buddy, so what do you call it then?"

"Whoa."

"Fine. Don't tell me. I just thought it would be nice to call it by name when I make it come." I can't help but laugh at her sauciness.

"Not whoa, _WHOA_." I try to say between bouts of laughter, trying to emphasize the capitalization without spelling it. I am rather enjoying her confusion.

"Really, Eric, it's fine if you don't want to tell me." She is starting to become upset with me; I can feel it swirling through our bond.

"Sookie, will you be quiet and listen for a second. I am telling you what I call it. I call it 'WHOA'. It stands for Whole Hell Of A lot. WHOA."

"WHOA? Jeez, that's not conceited at all, is it?" Now she is finally giggling with me, seeing the humor in the name.

"Do you disagree?" I glance down at her hand, which is moving torturously up and down me in long strides and look back up at her, quirking an eyebrow. "Is it not big enough to be called a Whole Hell Of A lot?" I smirk at her.

"Oh my gosh Eric, I'm already stroking your cock, do I really need to stroke your ego too?" She sounds as if she's exasperated with me, but I can still see a smile behind her squinted eyes. I can't help but take advantage of this situation, and I know a few ideas on how to do it.

"While stroking my cock with your hand is delightful Lover, I can think of other ways you can stroke it that would feel better for both of us."

With that I push her onto her back and situate myself between her open legs. I grab her ankles and throw them over my shoulder while I tease her clit with the swollen tip of my cock. Over and over, I slide the tip over her clit and down to her soaked entrance, only to withdraw before plunging into her. I can hear her pleading for me to fuck her, but I ignore it. I continue the sweet torture on her pussy lips, slipping between her folds, her juices lubricating my path. The more I do this, the more engorged her clit becomes, certainly taking her to the edge of sensitivity, without allowing her to release. She begins to curse, calling out everything she can think of to make me complete our physical beings, but I am aiming for something more, something transcendental, supernatural.

I want to own this woman body and soul, just as she owns me. I reach up and pinch one of her nipples, tugging roughly on it, as I plunge my full length into her. I quickly thrust my hips, wanting to be completely enveloped by her. My hands grip and caress her delicate, succulent skin, working my way down to her tantalizing hips as she writhes underneath me. I can feel her legs twitch. I turn, placing my lips just behind her knee. I can feel the thrum of her vein calling me. I bite down and suck in her life force. I feel her blood fill my mouth, and I move it around my mouth as humans do with a fine wine. I want to savor every nuance, to taste the special blend that is my Lover. I swallow this mouthful, only to greedily pull in another mouthful. The rush of her blood is unlike anything I have ever come across in all my nights on this planet. She screams my name, and I feel her orgasm consuming her, her heat bringing about my own almost instantaneously. I feel my cock begin to pulsate as I fill her tightness with my dead seed. The intensity of it could drive me insane if I let it. I have never experienced anything this intimate, this involved, in all of my years.

_The intimacy of this moment seems to have opened our bond to new, unimagined depths. I can see into her mind, flashes of her childhood, smiling with her parents, her teenage years. I can see her sad excuse for a prom, and every face throughout the years that has pitied her or talked about her behind her back. I see her Gran, her grandmother, and she is in almost all of her happy memories. I can see her first encounter with Bill, and her disappointment at finding him to be unfaithful. I see the first time she laid eyes on me, that night at Fangtasia. I can feel the lust that coursed through her body every time she saw me after that, especially that night in Dallas when she first tasted my blood. I can taste her fear while she was locked in the car trunk in Jackson, as well as all of the other times she has been hurt since entering our world. _

_I feel her pain when we confessed our intentions to her that last night in Fangtasia, when she realized that we could be monsters. I felt her hatred towards me while we were in Memphis, only to be replaced by confusion during our ride home from there. I remember writing her that first letter, but now I am reading it as she read it that first time. I watch as she refolds it and places it in a faded shoebox on the shelf in her closet. I watch as she progressively repeats this action with every letter I sent her. _

_I can feel her pleasure at seeing me walk in the door to that ratty bar she works in, and the conversation that followed on her porch steps. Then I can feel her anger towards the shifter from the next night, the night only a couple of nights ago. I hadn't known that they fought that night. She quit her job, and flew home in a rage. Then, I can feel her happiness again when I called her, and her anger at seeing Bill on the other side of the door. I see myself pull up her driveway and park next to her porch. I can feel her panic again as I watch Bill crush her to him, and my own anger once again fills me. I wish the bastard was still alive so I could kill him again. I watch her memory of that night unfold, once again feeling like I was going to lose her, and knowing in those few brief minutes that I would do anything to save this woman, because I love her. _

_I can feel her emotions swirling around me, and I have the impression that just as I have been viewing a slideshow of her life till tonight, she has seen mine as well. It is as if we have truly become the same person. We now share not only a blood bond stronger than any I have ever heard of before, but now we have also shared everything that has made us who we are. There is nothing to hide from anymore. I can only imagine what she saw of my life, over a thousand years of rape and murder, feeding and stealing. I can only hope that she will not think me a monster after this, though I cannot feel anything like that through the bond. I can only feel love and understanding._

"Dear one, that was… amazing. I have never experienced anything like that before." I say to her, still feeling the emotions swirling around us, but the pictures have finally stopped.

"What was that?" She asks breathlessly.

"I'm not sure, I've never heard of a Vampire and human bonding like this, this closely, so as to have shared our life memories." I respond, but then add silently in my mind, _th__ough I am not sure that this is something I would want to share anyways. It's simply too private._

"Yes, it's definitely too private. I don't want anyone to know either." She says, stunning me to my undead core.

"I never said anything about it being private Sookie." I say cautiously.

"Yes you did, I heard… oh, shit. I didn't hear you say that; I _heard_ it, didn't I?" Newfound fear fills her voice.

"Relax my Lover; I will not harm you. I think this may all be part of whatever our bond has created for us. I do not think, however, that it would be wise to let anyone else in our little secret. We should find out though if I am the only vampire you can read or if your telepathy has opened you to all vampires minds as well." I look at her speculatively. If she can read vampire minds now too, she will be in extreme danger if anyone finds out. But, it will also increase her value to me, and possibly the Queen, if she is willing to use it 'under the radar', so to speak.

"Eric, I don't want to let the Queen know. What if she wants to kill me because of this, or worse? What if she orders you to give me to her?"

"Sweetheart, she cannot order that from me. You and I are bonded, and no other vampire can touch you without my permission." I look down at her, letting my eyes convey the seriousness of the situation. "I am not bound to her as anything more than a sheriff to a Queen, and I am much older and more physically powerful than she is. She knows that I only bow to her because I choose to do so, but that should I ever choose to do otherwise, she will not win over me. I have never wanted the kind of power that a ruler possesses. I have chosen instead to help her enforce hers. But I will not hesitate to fight for what is mine, and you Lover, are most surely MINE now." My hand caresses her cheek, "She cannot take you away from me. She can, however, 'request' your services, much the same way I did when you were with Bill. It would be unwise for us to refuse any such requests. Her methods of punishment are unlike any you have experienced before."

"Can she really punish me if I refuse to work for her? I'm an American citizen, not one of her vampires, so how does she have any jurisdiction over me?" She asks me.

"You are part of her retinue, and you are bonded to one of her sheriffs now. She can force you to do almost anything. She is very… resourceful, when it comes to her methods. She will know that all she would have to do it threaten to hurt me, and you would comply with anything she asks of you. You are also not entirely human, and therefore also fall under the supernatural rules." I answer her.

"Oh." She sits quietly besides me, taking in all that I have told her.

"Dear one, there is something else. Before we fell asleep, I told you that I needed to speak to you about the Queen, and I think that this conversation has given us the perfect opportunity to do so. She has 'requested' our presence at the royal headquarters next week for some negotiations she is currently involved in. She is getting married, and she suspects her husband–to-be is not as forthcoming as he claims to be. She wants you to read his humans and see if any of them know what he is planning. I believe that this might also be a good time to try to read some of the other vampires if you can do it."

"When would we be leaving? And, what would I do about my house and paying the bills? Eric, I'm not sure I even want to go back to work for Sam Merlotte, how can I just up and leave, when everything is so up in the air?" I watch as the panic starts to set in for her.

"Don't worry about any of that. I will take care of it. You do not need to work for the shifter anymore; you do not even have to work at all if you don't want to. Other than assisting in a few vampire matters, that is. I have negotiated your payments with the queen for her services, and I can guarantee that you will be making more working with us than you ever did waiting tables for a bunch of drunk redneck nobodies."

"Those 'drunk redneck nobodies' happen to be most of the people that I care about, Buddy. I won't give up my life and become your kept woman just because we have this bond-thingy between us. I might choose to work for you or to stay working for Sam, but whatever I choose, it will be MY decision, you got that Mister?" Her anger only serves to heighten her beauty to me. It sends her blood racing through her body, causing her skin to flush, and her scent to amplify, my fangs descending and my cock twitching in response. I want to bite her and fuck her and bite her some more.

"I understand that you are angry with me, but, perhaps there are other… ways… to work this out Lover." I say as I begin to caress the tops of her thighs with my fingertips.

"Don't you start that right now, I'm not in any mood to do _that_ with you." I can tell she's lying to me, I can smell her arousal. I watch as her eyes take in my fangs then drop to take in the bounty in my lap. Her pupils dilate and constrict quickly, and she pulls in a sharp breath of air. "Well, _maybe_ I could be persuaded…"

I decide it would not be wise to continue talking at this point, choosing instead to attack my all too willing victim. I roughly push her onto her back and pull open her legs. I unfold the glistening flower that is her pussy and begin to greedily lick up all of her sweet nectar.

"Sweet Jesus, that is so…Ggggoooood." She growls. I growl back, the vibrations eliciting a scream, right before I plunge two fingers into her entrance.

_By the Gods, it's good to be me._

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

Sookie POV

It's just after 7:30 on Monday night, and I find myself pacing my kitchen, waiting for Eric to show up. I have been anxious to say the very least since last night. It was the first night – since completing our bond – in we weren't able to be together. Eric had some business to take care of before leaving town for a few days for our meeting with the Queen. I was surprised, then, as I am now, by the feelings of loneliness and emptiness that consume me even now without Eric's presence. It got so bad at one point that Eric called me, worried by the intensity of emotions swirling through our bond. I reassured him that I was okay, that I just missed him, and I would see him tomorrow night.

Suddenly, all my thought and feelings are gone and are replaced with a sense of completeness and joy, and I know that Eric is getting closer to being here.

I am pulled out of my musings by the sound of several cars slowing to turn into my long graveled driveway. The sounds of the engines can only be described as a growling of sorts. Anticipating that it will be Eric and his entourage of vampires, I walk through the living room and out the front door. I step onto the front porch, and watch as three of the most ferocious looking cars came to a stop in front of me. My eyes take in one bright yellow and one candy apple red Camaro. Both are two door models and have sun roofs, and the yellow one has black stripes down the center of the top of the car. My eyes move to the third car, which is a charcoal black Dodge Challenger.

While I watch in utter amazement at the breathtakingly beautiful cars in front of me, Pam steps out of the yellow Camaro with a grin that matches the front grill of the car. Eric steps out next, taking his time unfolding himself from the red one, and Chow and Clancy step out of the Challenger. Eric smiles at me as he bounds up the few steps to encapsulate me in his arms. He actually laughs as he twirls us around. I can't hold back my own laughter as I revel being back in his arms, but I soon find myself getting dizzy at the speed in which Eric is twirling me.

"Eric, stop, or you're going to make me sick!" I say breathlessly, trying to hold my stomach down.

"Alright my lover," he stops, and kisses me swiftly, "I enjoy seeing your eyes wide like this." He laughs as puts me back on my feet. "I have something for you."

"Oh no, I hate surprises." I say to him.

"Well, it should not be too much of a surprise for you." He points to the gleaming yellow Camaro, then looks back to see my reaction.

"What did you do Eric? Please tell me that you didn't get me a new car."

"Of course he did, my telepathic friend," Pam explains as she walks up the steps to hand Eric the keys to her car, excuse me, _my _new car. "He is the Sheriff of Area 5, and because you are bonded to him, everything you do will reflect on him. If you continue driving that rust trap you call a car, it will look badly on him." She points to my old, and admittedly rusty, Nova, "Others will assume that he cannot take care of you. Besides, I love this car, so you will too. I might just get one for myself." I can see where she is coming from, and why it is important not to embarrass Eric, but I just think it is wrong to accept a new car from my _boyfriend_. Even if he is Sheriff of Area 5 and has more money than God, it just isn't right. I look at the Camaro's wondering why there were two of them, if he intended on giving me one.

"What about your Corvette? Did you get rid of it?" I ask him curiously. Ever since I have known him, his Corvette has been a part of who he is and I can't imagine him without it.

"No Dear One, I still have it. I had to go to the dealership, to sign some paperwork so I could get the door replaced, and I saw these Camaros sitting in the lot, side-by-side. I loved the way the front grill looks like a toothy smile, much as I imagine I look right before I bite right here," Eric kisses my pulse point on my neck, stressing where 'right here' meant. He pulls back and continues, "I couldn't help myself, so I bought us each one. I thought it might be fun to have matching cars. They are both fully loaded, of course. I picked the yellow for you because it reminded me of the sun. I figured that this color would suit you."

"I really appreciate you thinking of me like this Eric, but I just don't think I can accept it. It will look as if I am your mistress if I start driving a car that you gave me. It just wouldn't be right to accept it. I'm sorry," I say to him.

He gives me a look filled with exasperation, as if he thinks that I just don't 'get' it. "Lover, I have also anticipated your concern on this level as well. You wouldn't feel like a kept woman if we were wed, would you?" He asks me.

"No, I wouldn't, but we aren't married, we aren't even engaged, and more importantly, it's not even legal for us to get married here in Louisiana." I state.

"Ah, but it is in other states near us. So, before you decline my gift, I have another one for you as well, my love." He is smiling in such a way that there can be no doubt that he is proud of himself. He pulls a small square, distinctively blue, box out of his pocket, and drops to one knee in front of me. The world slows down as I hear the three vampires gasp in surprise behind us. I myself am having trouble breathing, but I cannot take my eyes off of that little box. My heart is thumping loudly within my chest as I take in the view of Eric on one knee.

He never takes his eyes off of me as he orders the vampires who are staring at us unabashedly. "Leave us. We will meet at the hotel later this morning, and discuss our plans then. Pam, go with them."

With those two words, I watch as Chow and Clancy file back to the Challenger. Pam stops long enough to give me a grin, and amazingly enough, a thumbs-up sign. I smile back at her as she slid gracefully into the back seat of the Challenger and take off, leaving me alone with Eric, who is still on his knee in front of me. He takes a hold of my hands as he begins to speak to me. My breath catches and my pulse begins to race once again. I have dreamed of this moment my entire life. Only, I had never pictured an undead vampire Sheriff as 'the one'. In my childhood dreams, the man was always pinker, shorter, and _oh yeah_, ALIVE. Not that this wasn't so much better though, because it really, _really _was.

_Breathe Sookie, breathe. Calm down._

"Dearest Sookie, I wish to be bound to you in every way that matters. I wish to be faithful to you, loving you unlike any other being has loved you before. I wish to devote myself to your happiness and to your protection each and every night. I want your face to be the very first thing I see when I wake each night and the last thing I see before I sleep each day. I want to know that nothing can ever separate us. I offer you my love, my fidelity, my trust and my fealty. Everyone who owes fealty to me will know that I place you above even my own life. Will you please agree to be my wife? Will you agree to share your life with me in this way, binding yourself to me in more than just blood?" He asks me this, uncertainty marking his face in a most unfamiliar way. I have never seen Eric uncertain about anything before, and I am struck by how odd it is in this moment.

I must have hesitated longer than I realized, because I could see the uncertainty slowly turning into something else, and the feeling of despair emanates through our bond. I finally allow myself to breath, and move my arm to touch his face. I run my fingers over his forehead, down his cheek, and under his masculine jaw line. I use my fingers to lift his face to look at mine. "Are you sure? This is what you want?"I ask, looking deep into his eyes, trying to find any hidden doubt or reason for his sudden marriage proposal. I have been tricked by Bill into loving him, and at the time, I had thoughts of being with him forever. So now, I am faced with the same fear as the night I found out Bill was sent to me, to use me and gain my trust, only to crush my heart to know truth.

"Of course I'm sure, my love. I want to do this not just for you, but for me too. I have known you for nearly a year now, and I hated watching Bill put his hands on you before you left him, knowing that I wanted you the whole time. Now, that we are bonded, I cannot stand even the notion of another man's hands ever touching your body; I want to be the only man with that right. I already view us as wed, but I know that our blood bond does not have the same meaning for you, and as it does me. I would rather be your husband than just simply your vampire lover. Please, Sookie, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Eric, I will marry you; just not right away." I answer him as honestly as I can.

"What? Why should we wait, lover?" He asks me.

"I want to make sure that this isn't just some other way for vamp politics to control my life. We have only been bonded for a week Eric. How do I know that _this_," I gesture between us to signify the bond, "will last? How do I know that this is really what you want, not just some convoluted power play on your part? I do love you Eric, but I will not rush into a binding contract in the eyes of my God until I am certain that you are as devoted to me as I am to you."

"Devoted? How could you question my devotion to you? Can you not feel the love that I pour through our bond to you?" He looks hurt as he asks me these questions.

"Of course I can feel the love. But, I also know _you,_ Eric. I know how manipulative you have been in the past. I know how your position as Sheriff means everything to you, and I also know that you can withhold emotions from the bond. I cannot be sure that you aren't just trying to do what Bill failed at." Upon saying this, I can see that he is about to argue my point, but I hold up my hand to stop him. "I don't believe that that is what you are doing, but I can't fully trust you just yet. I love you, only you, but it would crush me if I were to marry you, only to find that this love is one-sided. That is why I am asking for us to wait. It isn't unreasonable Eric, you know this. I cannot shield my feelings from you the way you can, so you know what I am feeling right now. I do want to marry you, but I have to make sure that you actually want to marry me as well."

"How long are we talking? Sookie, I have waited over a millennium for you, I don't want to wait any longer. I have found you and we have bonded. I want you in every way that counts _now_, not later." He let out a heavy sigh, "But I _will_ wait, as long as you promise me that as soon as you're ready to be my wife, you will let me know." He says to me, his eyes never leaving mine. I can see the sincerity of his words and the love behind his eyes.

"I promise." I kiss his lips, feeling all the mounting tension between us dissipate. I can't help but feel relieved that I had time. "This is actually good Eric, it will look more normal this way. I won't have a million questions to answer like I would if we just ran away and got married. I don't think it will need to be an overly long engagement, but at least a few months for everyone to get used to the idea. Plus, that will give us time to decide what we are going to do, and where we are going to live." I explain.

"Where we are going to live? We will live in Shreveport, in my home. Or we can find one that you like. Of course, it will take time to make it vampire safe, but we can live in one of my houses while we wait." He says to me as if this is the most natural assumption in the world. Of course, it would be if your name was Eric Northman.

"See Eric, this is exactly what I'm talking about. You just assume that I will pick up and move in with you. What if I want to stay here, in my own house? In Bon Temps? We need to talk these types of things through together before either one of us makes any decisions." I look over at him, trying to silently will him to understand what I am trying to say.

Casting his eyes down, Eric says, "I just naturally assumed you would _want_ to live with me. As of right now, the safest place for me to sleep is in that 'hidey-hole' that Compton made in your spare room closet, and I don't care too much to sleep there. I would rather be sleeping next to you." I touch his cheek, wanting him to know I want that too. I just want it to be 'our' decision, not just his.

I notice that he is still holding the little blue box. Wanting to change the subject, knowing we will talk about it soon, I idly touched the box in his hand.

"So, after hearing all of this, do you still want to marry me? 'Cause I gotta say, I'd really like to see the ring you picked out for me if you do." I smile down at him, seeing the tension leave his eyes.

"Lover, there is nothing you could do that would make me not want to be with you. I realize that we have a few… _issues_ to deal with, but as you say, we will have some time to work them out together." He holds out the box to me, and I hesitantly reach out to take it from him.

I open it up, and see the most beautiful ring I have ever laid eyes on. It is a square cut diamond solitaire, surrounded by smaller round cut bead diamonds, along with more bead diamonds set into the band. If I didn't know better, I would assume that it was heirloom jewelry. I can only guess that this ring was probably close to at least half of my yearly salary working at Merlotte's. He gently takes the open box from me, removes the ring, and holds my left hand in his. He looks down at my face, capturing my eyes once again.

"I would be honored if you would be my wife, Miss Stackhouse. But before I place my ring on your finger, I want _you_ to be sure that this is what _you_ want. Do you want to be my wife?" He asks me once again, repeating my own words.

Nodding like a crazy woman, I scream, "Oh Eric, YES!" He places the ring on my finger and kisses it lovingly. I fling my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as I feel tears spilling over and slide down my cheeks.

_I am engaged… to Eric. If you had asked me even six months ago if this was how my life was going to turn out, I would have told you that it was simply impossible, and yet, here I am. _

"So, will you accept the car now that you are my fiancée, and no one can imply that you might simply be my mistress?

"Will you return it if I say no?" I ask him coyly, already knowing the answer.

"No. I would keep it for you until you become my wife then. Once we are married, I will buy you anything that _I_ want, since you cannot refuse a gift from your husband." He is actually smirking as he says this to me.

"Well, if you're going to keep it for me anyways, then I guess its ok for me to have it now." I try to scowl, but honestly, I am too excited to get a good look at _my_ new car.

Eric excitedly grabs my newly adorned hand and almost drags me to the grinning yellow car. I can tell that he can't wait to show it off to me, and the emotions in the bond remind me very much of how I always felt on Christmas morning. I watch his face as he goes on and on about the cars features and horsepower. To me it is a shiny, new, fast car with two pretty black stripes down the middle. Eric opens the door. I am instantly assaulted by the new car smell. I have always wanted to know what that smells like, and know I know- it smells awesome!. As he is pointing out the features I actually recognize, including the new iPod Touch (I'm assuming Eric added it for me). Other than that, I really don't care, but Eric is so excited, I can't help but be excited too.

Suddenly, I feel an intense wave of lust and desire wash over me, and before I know what is happening, Eric's hand is under my shirt and kneading my breast. His lips capture mine, and his tongue plunges into my mouth, claiming victory against my own. His other hand is busy unbuttoning my jeans and pushing them down. Quick as a wink, he sits down sideways in the driver's seat and pulls me down to sit on his lap. He spreads my legs, so that his knees are between mine, and lifts me just enough to glide into my wet core. He wraps his arms around my waist, one snaking upwards to once again take possession of my breast, while the other reaches between my legs to play with my clit.

"Place your hands on my knees lover, and push off from there." I do as he says, rocking my hips slightly with every motion. I hear him moan, and it gives rise to my own vocalizations. Within minutes, I am nearing climax and it only takes one more flick of Eric's fingers to send me over the edge. I scream out his name as I come harder than I ever have before. Quicker than I can recoup, Eric has me spread out on the hood of his own car and is pumping into me with a force that should tear me in two.

Instead, I feel yet another orgasm rushing up to meet me. I can feel that Eric is close too, and I tell him to bite me. He latches onto my nipple and swirls his tongue around it a few times before sucking it hard. The cool hardness of his fangs as they pierce the flesh of my breast is beyond erotic, and I am flooded with waves of pleasure as I claim my orgasm. Eric raises his mouth from my breast, blood still dripping off his fangs, and yells out "MINE!" into the darkness surrounding my ancient farmhouse, as he too collapses with his own completion. Tenderly, he lowers his head to lick the droplets of blood off of my chest, as well as to close the still bleeding wound right above my nipple.

I run my hands up his back and over his shoulders, down to his chest, where I push up just a bit. He lifts up off me, pulling me up with him. I have to look around for a second to find my clothing, since I don't know when it came off or where it was thrown. Sensing my problem, Eric rushes off into the night, returning just a few seconds later with my scattered clothing.

"We need to get going if we are going to reach New Orleans before morning. Are you all packed and ready?" He asks me as he hands me my clothing.

I can only glare at him, hating that I am still trying to recover my breath, while he stands there, looking as fresh as if he just stepped out of the shower. "Yes, I'm all packed, but I'll need a few 'human' moments to clean up after your little stunt here buddy." I point my finger at him.

To my utter amazement, Eric throws his head back and laughs. "My _little_ Stunt? Did you not enjoy it too, my love? I seem to remember you screaming my name several times, along with a few other things."

"Oh yes, you were certainly enterprising tonight, getting engaged, getting me to accept a gift that cost as much as I make working at Merlotte's, and christening both cars almost simultaneously." I say to him as I walk up the steps to my front door. Just as I am about to walk into the house, I stop, look over my shoulder and smile at him. "And yes, I did enjoy it too… immensely!"

***0*0*0*0***

**Pimpin': **I found this fantastic author named Missadventurous. Her story, Smug Bastard, is a very well written short foray into the world of Eric Northman pleasure porn! So my faithful friends, pull out your Smut Whore membership cards, and trek on over to her site… Eric is waiting for you.

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

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**Eric POV**

_When I opened my eyes this evening, everything was as it was every night, dark and still, just waiting for me to own it. I am Eric Northman after all. My first thought was of my lover, and that if I took off immediately, I could fly to her side in less than 20 minutes. I raced to my closet, pulling on the first garments my fingers came in contact with. Tonight was the night that I planned on asking her to marry me. _

_I was at the Chevrolet Dealership early this morning, shortly before dawn, when I spotted the candy apple red Camaro. I didn't think even Sookie could turn down a beautiful piece of machinery. I even test drove it just to make sure it was up to my standards. The Camaro wasn't as sleek as my Corvette, but damn, if it didn't growl when I turned the key. _

_I think I might have shaved a few years off of the salesman's already short life, when I popped the clutch and threw the stick into first gear, holding down the gas and brake pedal for a few seconds, spinning the tires. The sound and smoke of the tires screaming for traction on the already warm Louisiana asphalt was music to my ears. I quickly released the brakes and slammed the car into second, literally launching us out of the parking lot. I flew down the highway, noticing the blood drain from the poor man's face, and watched his Adams Apple bob up and down as he worked to swallow whatever was in his mouth. As my surroundings began to blur, even for me, I felt the urge to throw my head out the window and give a Viking cry at the power under my hands, but I held onto my dignity just long enough to deny my desire._

_As I rounded the corner back into the car lot, after putting about 50 miles in 15 minutes on the car, I knew I had to have it. It would be a nice toy to drive from time to time, giving my Corvette a rest. I pulled to a stop right in front of the show room doors and put the car in park. Before I could remove the key from the ignition, the salesman was out of the vehicle, puking in the bushes that framed the sidewalk. I laughed to myself, thanking Odin that I no longer had the weak constitutions that humans did. I could not do even half of the things required of me if I did. After waiting a few minutes for him to finish heaving, and then a few more for him to freshen up and compose himself, I made him a very happy man. I walked out of there the proud owner of two fully loaded and soon to be modified Camaros. Mine, of course, was bright red._

_I decided to go with the bright yellow 2SS Coupe for Sookie, thinking that the color suited both her personality and her love of the sun. I made sure to have them upgrade the sound-system and a few extra security upgrades that she would never need to know about. The tracking device and the interior listening devices were just in case anything ever happened to her. I needed to know that she was safe at all times, even if it meant that she would hate me if she ever found out that I did this._

_I walked out of the dealership, and hopped back into Pam's boring Toyota, wondering how she could drive this thing. Sure, it was tweaked under the hood to coax a bit more horsepower out of the tiny four-banger engine, but still, it amounted to a putt-putting go-cart on the kiddies track compared to the kind of cars I usually drive. But, it was a car, and I did have to make it back to my house before the sun rose for the day._

***0*0*0*0***

With a warm True Blood in hand, I am looking through the packages that Bobby Burman delivered to my house this afternoon. I'm searching for one in particular – one that contains several things I specifically requested as I hope they will be the key to my happiness. It is a rather large box, bearing the moniker Tiffany & Co. with the famous address on the label. I pull the tape open, gently lift out each signature blue-colored box and carefully set them on the table. I take my time opening them, being careful not to touch most of it for fear of burning myself. I can't wait to see Sookie's face once she sees the whole set of silver jewelry I bought Sookie, mainly for her added protection when around other vampires I might not necessarily trust.

The last box I open is the most important one, in my opinion. It held the most beautiful engagement ring I have ever seen. Moreover, it is the ring I noticed Sookie glancing at it with longing while thumbing through Pam's Tiffany's catalog one night at Fangtasia. I quickly closed all of the boxes and shoved them into my waiting suitcase, all except the ring box, that went into my front pocket. I fully intend on asking Sookie to marry me before the night is over.

_Should I get down on one knee as I have imagined over the years? What would she say? Would she say yes and leap into my arms? Would she be overjoyed? Or, would she reject me? With Sookie, I never know what she will do or what she will say, it is one of the many fascinating qualities I admire when I'm around her. _Just as I am contemplating how many times she will deny me, or what kind of stipulations she will place on our impending marriage – that's if she says yes, Pam strides into my house as if she lives here. I see the stupid grin on her face and realize that I haven't looked outside yet.

I lean over to my left and look out the kitchen window, happy to see that the cars were delivered during the day as per requested. I walk back over to the table and rifle through the mail and packages until I see the manila envelope from Bobby. Inside it contains all of the insurance information and paperwork, along with each new set of keys on personalized key chains.

"You do know that she is going to have a fit when you tell her that one of them is for her, right Eric?" Pam asks with sarcasm oozing from her overly pink smiling lips. _That Pam- she's always one to see the humorous side of any situation._

I can only smile at her.

"Yes, though I think that I might have the solution to her accepting my gift here in my pocket." I reply, tapping my right hip.

"You know, as the vermin say, sometimes you just make it too easy." Pam says, cracking up in a fit of laughter.

"I haven't seen you this jovial in a while, my child." I remark. "What has you in such a good mood tonight?"

Raising her eyebrow and smiling wickedly at me, she says, "Other than the fact that I have free tickets to the 'Humiliate Eric Northman Show'? Not too much. I just can't wait to see how far Sookie runs from you this time. There is simply no way that she will agree to both accepting the car and marrying you in one night."

"Well, my child, we shall see." I smirk at her as I throw the key to Sookie's car to her and we make our way to the door. I hold it open for her, gesturing for her to exit before me, and I say, "After you."

"Thank you Eric," Pam hesitates before opening the door to Sookie's car, calling out to me. "Clancy and Chow will meet us at Fangtasia to follow us out to Sookie's, and I will ride to New Orleans with them, unless you require me to be with you tonight?"

"No, that sounds just fine." I smile as I climb into my bright candy apple red Camaro, inhaling that new car smell.

***0*0*0*0***

Several hours later, after some intense negotiating, I finally got Sookie to agree to both marry me and keep her new car. Once my concessions were made, and she got what she wanted, we had our own form of celebration dance – twice, christening each car properly.

As Sookie is catching her breath, I can't help but replay what she said.

"_Yes, Eric, I will marry you," she said._ _It was like music to my ears when she said yes, but that quickly changed once she added that she didn't want to marry me right away. Why the wait? Did she know of my plans to protect her, to make sure she was safe from the Queen? _ _It broke my undead heart to hear her say that it was because she did not trust me and my devotion to her. Hadn't I proven that to her repeatedly, even when she was with Bill? I had always been there for her. Usually in the shadows and out of sight, but I was there._

I might not have gotten her to agree to marry me tonight, but I can understand her wish to wait. I definitely don't agree with her reasoning though.

"_I know how manipulative you have been in the past. I know how your position as Sheriff means everything to you, and I also know that you can withhold emotions from the bond. I cannot be sure that you aren't just trying to do what Bill failed at." Her words stung me. I had thought that she would be able to trust me by now, and truthfully, I was a bit disappointed that she didn't – it was one of many things I would have to work on, for her_.

She is still trying to catch her breath, and I know that we need to hurry if we are going to make it to our hotel and meet with Pam, Chow and Clancy before sunrise to go over our strategy for keeping Sookie safe from the Queen.

"We need to get going if we are going to reach New Orleans before morning. Are you all packed and ready?" I ask her, handing her the clothing that I had scattered all over her front yard, just a short time ago. I myself am already dressed and ready to go.

"Yes, I'm all packed, but I'll need a few 'human' moments to clean up after your little stunt here buddy." She turns and points her finger at me as she makes her way up the porch steps.

"My _little_ Stunt? Did you not enjoy it too, my love? I seem to remember you screaming my name several times, along with a few other things." I can't help but laugh at her pretended anger. As if anything about me is 'little', I think, smirking to myself.

"Oh yes, you were certainly enterprising tonight, getting engaged, getting me to accept a gift that cost as much as I make working at Merlotte's, and christening both cars almost simultaneously. And yes, I did enjoy it too… immensely!" she says as she looks back over her shoulder at me with a smoldering look in her eyes.

_Oh Shit, this woman is going to be the final death of me._

I walk back over to my shiny new Camaro, open the trunk, and lean against the side of it while I wait for her to clean up and bring her bag outside. I think back over the last hour, wondering why I ever expected her to take one look at the ring and instantly fall into my arms. Of course, that would've been nice, but it wouldn't have been my Sookie. She just has to overanalyze everything. Who cares what the pathetic people in this town think about us? I don't want to wait. I want her now, for far more than just merely protecting her. I love her.

If I could convince her to accept the car so easily, then maybe I can also persuade her to marry me while we are in New Orleans. Mississippi allows for Vampire- Human marriages, and I have heard that Biloxi has several 24 hour chapels that cater specifically to the undead. Crossing state lines from New Orleans to Biloxi and getting married would only take a couple of hours total. We could be back before anyone ever missed us. It would be nice to return to Shreveport with Sookie as my bride. Yes, I think that we might make a slight detour on our way home. It couldn't hurt to try anyways. Once we deal with the Queen, we will be free to enjoy ourselves for a while. Given a few nights, I know that I can influence Sookie to cross state lines with me; it just might take a bit of 'sweet persuasion', which I am more than happy to provide of course.

Although, if we are wed before we meet with the Queen, it will tie her to me undeniably, and can only serve to help me protect her better. The Queen doesn't like to share. Now, she is being forced to share Sookie with me… needless to say, she isn't very happy about having to ask my 'permission' to use Sookie, whom she considers to be one of _her_ assets. I can only guess that the Queen will try to separate us, and will try to test Sookie's love and loyalty to me, and may even try to force her to bond with her or another vampire. Despite the bond Sookie and I have, the Queen can order me to leave her, while she cannot if we were legally married.

It will not be a surprise to me if she tries to steal Sookie away from me, by hook or crook if needs be.That is what I would do if I was in her position, and I am prepared to do whatever I must to protect my bonded.

_Hmmm, I wonder… if I share this information with Sookie, will she change her mind about waiting to get married a few needless months from now? And if it does, can I convince her to do it within the next few hours? What will it cost me?_

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Betas; Misticbutterfly and teamedward86, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**EPOV**

"Sookie, we need to talk." I say, breaking the quite that has permeated the car for the last several minutes.

_We are on our way to New Orleans to meet the queen, and I feel like I need to convince Sookie that we should be wed before we see her. Every mile we travel closer to the queen adds another pound of weight to my shoulders. I know that this will be a difficult conversation, and that Sookie won't want to hear what I have to say, but I need to get everything out in the open. She needs to be aware of what she could be walking into._

"Okay Eric, what's on your mind?" Sookie asks as she turns her head to look at me.

I take an unnecessary deep breath and start out the conversation by asking her an obvious question. "You have no doubt noticed by now that most vampires care nothing for the lives of the humans that serve them and that by 'allowing' you to continue to live your life the way you want, that there are some that see me as 'soft', right?"

She gives me an exasperated huff and says, "Yes Eric, I _have_ heard that a time or two, though you know that I don't agree with that. I am my own woman, and you don't 'allow' me to do anything."

"I know that Sookie, but you need to understand that I love you, and because I do, I have yet to command you to behave in any certain manner. Trust me dear one, as your bonded, I _can_ force you to do anything I wish… but I never have. I do not want to belittle you, or force you to do anything that you might not wish to do."

"And I appreciate that Eric, but what are you getting at?" she asks me, starting to look a bit concerned now.

"When we are before the Queen, as my bonded, there are certain things… behaviors if you will, that cannot be tolerated. Though the Queen knows that you cannot be glamoured, you will need to act like you follow my orders without argument, and that for all intents and purposes, that you are under my command. If she even _thinks_ that you are not fully under my control, she may choose to force her will on you. She must believe that you are mine in every way, and through me, she can command your services. If not, she will decide to keep you in her retinue, by force if necessary, or she will attempt to order me to relinquish my hold on you to her or one of her children."

"She can do that? I mean, she can order you to give me to her?" I can see the horrified expression etched into her features clearly under the glow from the dashboard of the new Camaro, "but Eric, I'm human, how can she do that? Is there any way to stop her from doing it?"

I smile, knowing that I have successfully manipulated the conversation to exactly this spot. "If we were wed," I quickly glanced over to her to gauge her reaction, "before our first official meeting with the Queen, there would be no way for her to take you away from me, not without creating more trouble for herself than it's worth. If we are pledged to each other by marriage, then she will have no right to order me to give you to her. She may still order me to bring you to her to work for her, but she will not be able to force either of us to do anything else."

"But Eric," she starts to interrupt me, but before she can get any farther I continue with my speech.

"If we were to get married tonight, Sookie, I would be better equipped to keep anything like that from ever happening to us." I glance over in her direction, grasping her hand in reassurance as I continue talking, "I know that you are worried about my motivation for rushing into marriage with you, but rest assured my Lover, I want nothing more than to be bound to you for eternity – no matter what you chose tonight. By bonding with you, I have already taken a step that I would have never taken with anyone else. I love you, and therefore, I want to spend the rest of your life, or mine if you would be willing, with you. I want to see you smiling at my side in another thousand years, but I will be content with however many years you are willing to give me. I love the thought of being your husband, and belonging to you in a way that I have never belong to another being since being turned. I want to be yours, Sookie. I can think of no greater pleasure than to be able to call you Mrs. Northman, knowing that you are mine, and mine alone."

I watch out of the corner of my eye as a small smile spreads over her face at the mention of her taking my name, and I can't help the smile that spreads over my own lips at the sentiment. If I am being honest with myself, I would like her to be called nothing but Mrs. Northman for eternity, branding her as mine like nothing else would.

"Alright Eric, I get that you want to marry me tonight, but what would I tell everybody? Do you know what everyone would think if I just ran off and got married to you, since you're such an important vampire?" I can almost see the wheels turning in that head of hers as she thinks everything over. I decide to wait for her to speak before I say anything else. "Is there something else, Eric, another reason why you are pushing so hard for this to happen right away?"

I let out a sigh, frustrated that she has to over-analyze everything. I wish, just once, that she would simply trust me. "As for what everyone will think, why do you even care? Aside from a few people, who in your po-dunk little town has ever done anything for you? The shifter will understand, probably better than you give him credit for, your friends will be happy for you, and your brother will be an ass no matter what you do. Who else is there for you to worry about?" I turn to look her in the eye as I keep talking, "Besides, you don't need to tell anyone right away if you don't want to. We could have another wedding later, one for our friends and family to attend if that would make you happy. As for why I am pushing for this, I have already explained that to you. I am worried about what the Queen might have planned, not to mention the fact that it would make me very happy, Sookie. I want to marry you; do you not want to be married to me? What difference will it make if we get married tonight, next week or next year? Other than wasted time, that is?"

_An increasingly uncomfortable silence surrounds us as the minutes begin to tick by while I wait for her response. I have no doubts that if I was asking her to follow me into the depths of hell to help one of the many people in her life that didn't deserve it, she wouldn't even be contemplating the danger involved. She would rush in, regardless of the danger to herself. But here I am, asking her to do something that will not only help me to keep her safe, but will make me deliriously happy as well, and she can't make up her fucking mind. I know that I am beginning to lose my patience, but honestly, this woman is infuriating sometimes. As much as I love her, there are times that I wonder how much easier my life would be if I had simply drained her the first time I had the impulse to do so._

"Alright," she says almost in a whisper, "I'll do it." I am pulled out of my thoughts, and for a split second, I am confused; does she _want_ me to drain her? Before I can voice my confusion however, Sookie once again speaks up, "Let's get married tonight. You're right about everybody in Bon Temps, you're right about my feelings for you, and you're sure to be right about the whole Queen-wants-to-control-you deal. I do want to be your wife, and the sooner we do it, the sooner we can begin our life together. There will still be a lot of things for us to work out once we get back. For starters, I really don't want to give up my Grans house just yet, and I would like you to promise me that you will let me make a few of the decisions regarding certain aspects of our life together as well."

I can't stop the shit eating grin from covering my face, and I have to pull the Camaro to the side of the freeway so I can pull Sookie into my arms. I quickly free her from her seat belt and pull her into my lap, gripping her face between my hands, and bring her lips to mine for one soul shattering kiss after another. I have to remind myself that Sookie is still human, and therefore, she still needs to breathe.

"My, my, Mr. Northman, are you just a little bit happy with my decision, or what?" she giggles between gasps for air.

"My Love, you have no fucking idea just how happy I am!" I need to call Pam and have her find a 24-hour chapel for us to get married in, then a hotel that has a light proof honeymoon suite, if there is such a thing. Either way, I need her to get started on the planning while we continue to drive. "Lover, I need to call Pam. Would you like to tell her that our plans for tonight have changed, or would you like for me to do it?"

"Oh, I want to do it. I'll call her from my phone." Immediately she pulls her cell phone from her pocket excitedly and speed dials Pam's number. The phone is answered immediately by a bored sounding Pam, issuing an unenthusiastic salutation.

"Guess what Pam?" Sookie is practically yelling into the phone, not giving Pam even a second to formulate a response before answering her own demand. "We're getting married! Tonight! Eric wants to talk to you, but I wanted to be the one to tell you about it. Isn't it exciting? I have to admit, I still think it's a bit rushed, but Eric explained to me that there were too many reasons not to wait. I do love him, and I trust him to know what is right in all things vampire, so how can I not give into this request?" Having said all of this, Sookie pauses to hear Pam's response.

I can hear Pam's congratulations, and I am pleased to hear that my child is genuinely happy for my beloved and I. As they continue their conversation, I quickly and easily merge back onto the freeway and continue our drive southwards. After a few more minutes of girl talk, Sookie hands me her phone so I too can speak with Pam.

"Pam."

"Master, I am pleased that Sookie has agreed to marry you so quickly. It should be a big help when dealing with the Queen, and it will no doubt make you happy as well. I'm assuming that you are in need of my assistance to make this happen. What is it you wish for me to do? I cannot plan anything extravagant for tonight, so I hope that something simple will suffice."

"Of course, just find us a chapel that will accommodate vampires and book us a suite for the rest of the night. We are already passing Alexandria, so I figure that Biloxi would be best. Just make sure that whatever you pick, that it is close enough for us to make it back to New Orleans before our 10:00 o'clock meeting tomorrow night."

"Yes Eric. Perhaps Chow, Clancy and I too will head to Biloxi and share in your ceremony. Would that be acceptable to you? That way we will still be able to meet to discuss our plans before the meeting."

"It would please me greatly if you were to be there with us, my child. I am sure that Sookie would love for you to be one of the witnesses as well." I glance over to see my lover's head nodding enthusiastically.

"Alright then, let me get off the phone so that I can make all of the necessary arrangements. I'll call you back as soon as they are confirmed. Oh, and Eric?"

"Yes Pam?"

"Congratulations."

***0*0*0*0***

**SPOV**

We drove into Biloxi at about 12:45, turning what would normally have been a seven hour drive into little more than four hours due to Eric's love of speeding. I always seem to be surprised by his inability to follow the speed limit, but I have to admit that it is definitely working in my favor tonight. The faster we get there, the faster we can get to the honeymoon.

After another call from Pam, we pull up to the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino. From the outside, the building looks deceptively beautiful, and judging from the wave of thoughts of those within the building, I'm guessing that the inside is pretty remarkable too. Pam has booked Eric and I into the Cypress Suite, and booked rooms for her and the other two as well. She also booked the small wedding chapel for a 2:00 am ceremony.

As soon as we pull up to the Valet parking area, Pam opens my door and literally pulls me out and into the hotel, yelling over her shoulder that Eric needed to put on his suit and meet us at the chapel by 2:00. She pulled me through the front doors, through the lobby, and into the shopping promenade. Instantly, I am bombarded with high end shopping, and the smell of expensive stores. Pam pulls me into and out of stores faster than I could blink.

"What are we doing Pam? And can we please slow down?" I ask her breathlessly.

"We are trying to find a dress suitable for you to get married in, and no, we cannot slow down. I only have an hour to get you a dress, get your hair and makeup done, and get you to the chapel so you can marry the Sheriff tonight. Are there any other questions, or can we continue?" she says to me somewhat sarcastically. _Leave it to Pam to get a little bit irritated because the silly human needs to catch her breath._

Finally after having seen every single dress available, Pam selects several white evening gowns that are suitable enough to pass as a wedding dress. Not to mention the lacy strapless bra and teensy tiny little scrap of white lace that might be called underwear in a parallel universe. I am shoved into a dressing room to try on said dresses. She hurried into her own dressing room with a dress and heels for herself.

I dutifully try on each dress, emerging from the dressing room for Pam's opinion. She systematically dismisses them, one by one, until there is only one left. It isn't until I came out of the dressing room in this beautiful dress, feeling like this was the one, and saw Pam's fangs run down, that I knew we were finally done dress shopping. The gown itself is very simple, just an empire-waist cut, with a sweetheart neckline, and flowing white chiffon overlay down to the floor. The bodice was gathered, and was cinched right below my ample breasts, accented by silver-toned beading. Pam immediately hands me a pair of strappy silver heels that perfectly complimented the dress. She tells me to put them on, rips off the price tags, while doing so she grabs my clothing out of the dressing room and heads to the cashier's station. By the time I have the straps buckled on my new shoes, Pam has everything paid for and is ushering me to the 24 hour salon to finish getting me ready for my wedding.

For the next 30 minutes, I am spun and twirled on the salon chair. My hair is pulled every which way but out, and I feel like I had more makeup on than Tammy Faye. Throughout the entire process, I am not allowed to look in the mirror. I can't really complain though, I am being treated like a royal princess about to marry my prince. I close my eyes, counting the minutes until I am standing beside Eric. Finally, I hear Pam tell me that I should open my eyes and look. I do as I am told. I feel my breath hitch in my chest when I look in the mirror.

"Oh My GOD." I stutter out in awe. "Pam, this is amazing. I look so beautiful; I never imagined I could look like this."

Pam's only response is to silently nod her head and hold my hand while I continued to gaze into the mirror. I notice that she has taken the time to get herself ready as well.

"I don't care what this cost, it was worth every penny. In fact, maybe you should pay them double Pam. Wow, I just can't believe this."

Pam chuckles a bit, then turns me to face her. "Are you ready to go become my Mistress?"

"Huh?" Yeah, I know, not the most elegant thing I have ever heard, but why would she ask me to be her mistress on the night I'm supposed to be marrying her maker? It just didn't make any sense to me, and judging by the peals of laughter now emanating from her, I can only guess that the confusion is plainly written on my face.

"You are marrying Eric, my Master, which will then make you my Mistress, Sookie. What kind of Mistress were you thinking I was talking about?" She raises a single eyebrow at me and says with a smirk.

"Um, well…" I know that she is having fun watching me get all flustered, but I can't help it.

"Come on Sookie; let's not keep the Sheriff waiting. Once he gets a good look at you, you'll be lucky if he doesn't just throw you over his shoulder and carry you off immediately, ceremony or not. You look simply _delicious_." I notice that her fangs are down again as her eyes sweep over my body. She throws a handful of bills at the stylists that have been working on me and grabs my hand once again, pulling me out of the salon and towards my destiny.

She stops me at the doors to the chapel, stepping inside briefly to tell them that I am ready to start. I hear the first keys of the piano playing the traditional wedding march, and Pam opens the doors, ushering me to the side of them so that I cannot see all the way inside and tells me to wait to the count of ten and follow her in. She also shoves a small bouquet of crimson roses into my hands, but I can't even begin to guess where they came from. I watch her silently glide down the aisle until she is out of my sight, then I take a deep breath and step into the doorway. I hear a slight gasp, and I lift my eyes to the front of the chapel. There stands my Viking, all done up in a form fitting tuxedo that has very obviously been custom made just for him, looking all kinds of yummy. I notice that the gasp came from him, and as our eyes meet, I am surrounded by such an intense wave of love swirling throughout the bond that I am forced to take another deep breath just to steady myself. I notice that I can feel pride and lust swirling around me, and I know that Eric is more than happy to see me. I smile and make my way to his side, not even sure if my feet touch the floor on my way down the aisle. Upon reaching Eric, he immediately reaches for my hand, entwining our fingers, and he smiles down at me.

"My Love, you are beautiful beyond anything I have ever seen. Nothing can compare to the sight of you on this night."

"Oh Eric, you look positively gorgeous tonight too."

With that said, we are interrupted by the Officiate who gently clears his throat. "Are we ready to begin?" He looks at us, waiting for us to signal that we are.

I stare into Eric's eyes throughout the ceremony, barely able to keep my hands to myself, knowing that in just a few short minutes he will be my husband. I am surprised I was able to concentrate long enough to answer and repeat when necessary, but other than that, Eric held my whole attention. Before I know it, the ceremony is finished, and Eric is kissing me in such a way that there could be no questioning what he has in store for later. It takes a few minutes for the license to be signed and witnessed, but then my Viking husband grabs me around the waist and begins to walk out of the chapel and towards the elevators, intent on pillaging and plundering until dawn.

He sets me on my feet as we wait for an elevator, taking my hand in his and raising it to his lips. As his lips brush against the tops of my knuckles, I feel the tips of his fang barely graze my skin. Just the thought of those lips and fangs on my body causes a shiver to pass down my spine and spread throughout my already moist core. The elevator door opens, and Eric wastes no time in pulling me in behind him, then hitting both the floor button and the door closed button. The doors close, and I find myself pressed up against the elevator wall, with Eric pressing into me, kissing along my neck while his hands are roaming over every square inch that is now Sookie Northman. I groan, both at the sensations caused by his hands, and the way I feel when I think of my new name.

Eric's hands find the hemline of my dress just as the elevator dings, letting us know that we have arrived on our floor. Eric takes my hand once more as we exit and walk towards one of only two doors on this floor. The placard outside the door says that it is the Cypress Room, and as Eric flashes the electronic card over the key-reader, I find myself entranced by the opulence of the room. Try as I might, Eric gives me no time to look at anything as he sweeps me up into his arms and steps through the door, carrying me past a spacious living area and straight into the bedroom. He sets me down gently on the enormous king-sized bed, and kneels before me on the floor.

No words are needed as Eric begins to worship my body, slowly lifting one foot and removing my shoe before repeating the motion with the other foot. Once my shoes have been removed, Eric places his hands on my ankles and begins to slide his hands slowly up the outsides of my legs. As his hands travel upwards, the fabric of my dress follows, revealing my heated skin. Eric leans down and allows his tongue to run up the inside of my right leg, stopping just short of my lady bits. I cry out, frustrated by the sudden disappearance of his tongue, wanting him to assault my wet lips more than I have ever wanted him to do anything to me before. But he releases his hold on my legs as well, and stands up in front of me. I start to say something, distressed at his lack of touching, when he 'shushes' me and starts to take his jacket off.

I watch in absolute silence as he disrobes, finally standing before me completely naked in all his pale perfection. He reaches for my hand, and I offer it up to him, trusting him to take care of my needs. Once I am standing in front of him, he reaches behind me and carefully unzips my dress, allowing it to puddle around my ankles. He then unclasps my bra, letting it too drop to the floor at our feet. Still silent, he reaches for my hips, dragging his thumbs under the sides of my underwear, inching them down my thighs until they are on their way to the floor as well. Finally we are both completely naked in front of each other, and Eric steps closer to my body. My nipples are already hard in anticipation of connecting with the cool skin of his chest, and I can feel my juices threading their way onto the tops of my thighs. And still, he says nothing. As his hands begin to traverse my body, I can feel him open the bond all the way. I am immersed in feelings of happiness, contentment, love and lust. I can feel how much he wants me in this moment, and I send him my own feelings back. I can feel them as they make their way to his body, and I know the second he feels them as well, as his hands begin to move a bit more quickly. He steps into me once again, causing me to take a step backwards, bringing the back of my knees into the edge of the bed.

Eric wraps his arms around my back and shoulders and gently lowers me onto the bed once more. His knees push my own open, spreading my thighs apart in invitation to his waiting mouth. I moan loudly as I feel his cool tongue sweep across my flaming core. I can't help the bucking of my hips as his teeth find my clit and gently nip and tug at it. When he wraps his lips around that tiny bud and sucks it into his mouth, he wraps his arm around my hips, keeping them firmly planted on the bed. Within seconds, his fingers are playing my core like it is an orchestral instrument, creating sounds in the room unlike any I have ever heard before. His tongue is swirling around my nub as his fingers are pumping and curling inside of me, and I am amazed when I realize that every sound in the room is coming from me.

"Sing for me, my Love," Eric's voice is deep and raspy, the tone of his voice making the level of his arousal very clear to me. "Cum for me now."

His words are all it takes to send my body soaring for the heavens as his fingers only help to prolong my flight. I am still unable to form any coherent words, so any communication right now is done in grunts and moans, but it seems to be enough for him. He removes his fingers and his mouth from my core, only to quickly replace it with something much more satisfying. I feel him position his tip at my entrance, and just as he thrusts inside of me, he growls out the words "My Wife," and buries his cock as deep as it will go. It's at this point that I finally recover my ability to speak, and whisper "My Husband," in his ear. As if that is all the encouragement he needed, Eric begins to thrust repeatedly in and out of my body, whispering words of love and devotion as his hands caress every part of me that he can reach.

Just as I can feel that we are both too close to continue for much longer, Eric lifts his wrist to his mouth and bites, offering his blood to me in a renewal in our own private bonding ceremony. I pull his wrist to my mouth, and feel the familiar tingling begin as he licks at the juncture of my neck and shoulders. I pull mouthful after mouthful of his blood into my body, greedily taking as much as I can before the wound starts to close. Just as I reach the height of my climax, I feel Eric's fangs pierce my neck, flinging me off the edge, and I feel Eric's soul soaring right along beside me.

I can feel his cock pulsating inside me as my walls clamp down around him. I can feel each pulse as it milks more of his seed from his body, I can feel each twitch of his hip as he strives to bury himself even deeper. My legs are wrapped around him, digging my heels into his ass, in an effort to capture his essence inside me forever. I try to keep him, to crawl inside his skin, or to push him into mine, melding us into a single entity forever, and I want to cry as I feel the completion of our love making begin to settle down around us. I begin to think about how each twitch, each movement, each touch seems to be a reminder that in just a few short minutes Eric must die for the day once again, leaving me alone on my honeymoon, with nothing but his dead arms around me for comfort.

"Don't worry Lover, my arms may be dead this day, but you have brought new life into my heart tonight," he murmurs lazily into my ear.

I immediately stiffen in his arms at the same time he realizes what he has done.

"Oh SHIT! Eric, did you just…?" I question out loud.

He slowly nods his head, and only his eyes are giving even the slightest hint at his own amazement. "Yes, my love, I think I just did. Is that what you were thinking?"

"Uh-huh." I look at him, sure my eye are open as wide as they will go.

_Can you hear me, Lover?_ He is looking at me, and the only way that I know for sure that he didn't actually say the words is because I was looking directly at his lips, and they didn't move. I was wrong, my eyes _could_ open wider.

_Oh Shit, oh shit, ohshitohshitohshit!_ Eric burst into a deep resonate laugh at the single thought running through my head.

"My Love, don't worry, this could really come in handy tomorrow. Do you think you could read any other vampires, or is it just me? Hmmm… It would be good if you could read the Queen's intentions, but even if you cannot, the ability for you and I to communicate this way is priceless."

"You mean you aren't going to kill me? I thought that the only reason I was still alive is because I couldn't read vampire minds." I stammer, unsure of what might happen next. I know that Eric loves me, but what if this is too much for him.

"Relax, Sookie. You are my bonded, and now my wife as well. I could no sooner bring you harm that I could kill myself. I actually expected something like this to happen sooner or later. We are so closely bound together, that it only made sense that we would be able to share our gifts with each other. I just hadn't expected it to happen this soon. I wonder if it has something to do with the amount of my blood in your body." He looked at me appraisingly for a few seconds before speaking again. "When we meet with Pam and the others tonight, I want you to try to read them. Then, if you cannot, I want you to take some more of my blood and try again on our way to New Orleans. If you can't do it by then, I doubt that you will ever be able to read other vampires besides myself, though if you are able to, the knowledge we could gain would be incalculable. Either way, Sookie, dawn is in less than an hour, and I would rather spend my time buried in your delectable body than inside your mind. Come my wife, lay back and let your husband sooth your worries away.

_Yes, my husband_, I think at him, and I am instantly rewarded with images of exactly how he intends to spend our remaining time before the sun rises for the day.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Beta Misticbutterfly, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	13. Chapter 12

Before you get into this chapter, I just want to clarify the approximate date to help make everything make sense. According to CH, Club dead takes place in the first half of December 2004. If you take into account the fact that Sookie talks about her and Bill getting over the fight they had in Jackson in the first part of The Sheriff's Plan, and add a month or so afterwards leading to the scene in Fangtasia between Bill Eric and Sookie (also in TSP), then adding that it was just over four months from the night in Fangtasia to the night of her and Eric's "first date"( -aka- the death of William Compton), I figure that brings us to the end of May- early June 2005. (A total of approx. 5 months has passed since their return from Jackson.) So, I've decided to take some author liberties and set the date of their **wedding as June 1, 2005**. I hope that clears up a few questions I have received in PM's, now please, enjoy.

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**Previously…**

"_Either way, Sookie, dawn is in less than an hour, and I would rather spend my time buried in your delectable body than inside your mind. Come my wife, lay back and let your husband sooth your worries away." _

Yes my husband_, I think at him, and I am instantly rewarded with images of exactly how he intends to spend our remaining time before the sun rises for the day. _

***0*0*0*0***

Earlier this evening…

We pulled up to the front of our New Orleans hotel, the Sanguine, at a few minutes to 9:00, a mere hour shy of our scheduled meeting with the Queen. Though I was extremely nervous to meet with the head vamp of Louisiana, Eric seemed unbelievably calm. He had decided to have a phone conference on our way here from Biloxi instead of meeting in our suite as he had previously told the other three vampires that had traveled with us. He talked to them about safety and surveillance measures that he expected them to take to help him keep me safe. Pam was given the task of being with me anytime that Eric wasn't, and though she is one of the nicest vampires I have come to know, I'm extremely glad that she's on my side since she can kick some serious ass.

Chow seems to be pretty ambivalent (thank you word of the day calendar) about the whole situation, while Clancy has taken a decidedly hostile stance towards me. It bothers me that he doesn't like me, though I can't even begin to guess what I have done to make him hate me so. Hearing Eric order him to protect me was kinda scary. I have never heard him take the tone he did with Clancy, and I have to admit, though scared, it was a major turn on as well. Apparently Clancy backed down immediately; because Eric promised to release him from Area 5 once this extended meeting was over, but only after warning him that if he failed to protect me because of his disdain for me that he would not live to see the next sunset. Once all the plans and threats were finalized, Eric disconnected the call and turned to me.

_Oh yeah, I knew that look…_

*0*0*0*0*

Just over an hour later Eric, Pam and I are being ushered into a large, empty room in the Queen's home. As I turn to say something to Eric, a door that I hadn't seen opens on the other side of the room, and in walks an undead conundrum. I can't help stare at the young girl that I can only assume is none other than Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Queen of the Louisiana vampires. Though she physically looks to be about 15 or 16 years old, she is dressed in a tight black pencil skirt and a pale blue ruffle necked blouse and simply oozes power and command.

Then, if there was any room for doubt, I watch as both Pam and Eric take a knee and bow their heads deeply before her. _Yup, definitely the Queen of Louisiana_. I have to suppress a smile, and though I really do try to execute a perfect curtsey, I'm afraid that I have failed miserably. I can tell by the amused look on her face as I try to keep my balance, that I'm not fooling anyone in the room. Hey_, remember me? I'm the _human,_ who is an American citizen._ I've never had to bow or curtsey before. It is only then that I notice that another young-looking vampire has stolen into the room while everyone's attention has been locked on the Queen.

"Eric, it has been too long since I have seen you. You're looking positively pinkish. I take it Miss Stackhouse is taking very good care of you now." she says as she looks in my direction.

"Actually, Your Majesty, it is Mrs. Northman now. We were wed last night in Biloxi." Eric responds politely, though I can see a glint of wariness in his eyes. I too, am wondering what she wants from me, and what she might do to get it.

"Please call me Sookie, your Majesty." I interject as politely as possible. "Though Mrs. Northman sounds great, Sookie is what I am used to."

"Well then, I guess congratulations are in order," she says smiling, and turns to the vampire behind her, "Andre, would you please have some Royalty brought up so that we can celebrate properly. Oh, and have them bring up some champagne for Mrs. Northman, I mean Sookie, as well. It is of course her marriage we are toasting."

The vampire, now known as Andre, bows his head and exits the room silently. I can only assume it is to follow her orders.

"Thank you Your Majesty," I say, not wanting to seem impolite.

"Nonsense. Eric is one of my most trusted and loyal subjects. Now that you are married, that ties you to me as well. I had already planned on requesting your particular services tonight, and knowing that Eric trusts you enough to take you as his bride gives me great confidence that you will be able to keep what I am going to ask you to do to yourself." She answers, suddenly all business, but still the polite smile remains.

Andre returns to the room after a few short seconds, and very soon afterwards a servant enters pushing a cart with the requested refreshments in next to the Queen's desk. Andre reaches over and pours four champagne flutes full of the expensive blood and one flute full of a fizzy amber colored liquid. He hands out the blood first, then turns to me to hand me my glass. Just as I reach out to grab it, he catches my hand and brings my wrist to his nose. He inhales deeply, closing his eyes, still holding my wrist tightly in his grip under his nose. I watch as Eric tenses, falling into a half crouch, ready to pounce on the Queens bodyguard.

"Andre, what are you doing?" the Queen demands almost instantly. "Northman, relax this instant. I will not allow any harm to come to your wife."

Eric straightens up, though I can still see the tension in his body. I try to relax as well, but that's easier said than done when a strange vampire is literally sniffing you like a dog.

"There is more to this one than meets the eye. I would bet that there is fae blood in her line. I can smell their influence. If I could take but a sample of her blood, I could say for certain my Queen." Andre says in a somewhat creepy post adolescent teenage boy voice.

_Seriously, what is with all the cryptic language? Given his teenager-like appearance, I think I would have been more comfortable if he had said something like, "YO, Mommy's got mad blood. I wanna taste that shit, then I can tell you if she all that or not, Queeny." I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips at the thought of Andre all Pimped out in street wear, sporting some retro Reeboks and white socks, ball shorts and an oversized jersey, with his cap all screwed on sideways, his arms crossed over his chest. No doubt he'd be the deadliest thug-wannabe on the street. The mere thought of a vampire teen in a gang is enough to sober me up quickly._

I turn towards Eric, my wrist still caught in Andre's grip, only to find that every vampire in the room is staring at me with confused looks on their faces. This only makes me giggle harder, though I do try to stop. I watch the Queen's eyebrows lift as she looks at Eric, possibly for confirmation of my insanity.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I'm just nervous. I tend to either ramble or giggle, and this situation, well… I meant no disrespect." I say, trying to find a way to cover up my blunder. I do not want to make her angry. Eric has already warned me about that; which actually does have the effect of making me nervous now.

"Not to worry, many beings are nervous around Andre. He has the uncanny ability to tell what or who anyone is merely through a simple tasting of their blood. And through the memory of their taste or scent, he is able to effectively track and capture any being that I need to have found." I know that she is trying to explain this to me to diffuse my nerves, but I can't help feeling like there is a warning in there as well. "If you would allow it, I would like Andre to take a taste of your blood. He believes that there is something…extra, something more to you than simply being human, and I am curious to know now myself."

'_Sookie, tell her that she needs to ask me. We need to show her that you are obedient to me, remember? Otherwise she might try to bypass my right to you, or force us to part,'_ I hear Eric say in my head.

"I will have to defer to my husband on this, Your Majesty. If he is alright with it, than I have no objections." I say bowing my head slightly.

"Well, Eric, would you mind?" she asks him.

"No, I do not, as long as he does not bite her. That pleasure is mine alone." He looks at me as he says this, and I feel my panties dampen instantly. Unfortunately, everyone in the room besides me is a vampire, so my arousal is immediately known to all. Much to my horror, I feel the blood rush to my cheeks in my embarrassment.

"Oh Eric, she is too precious. She reminds me of Hadley before I turned her. She was always blushing too, and like her, your Sookie is such a sweet piece. Are you sure you won't share her?" The Queen asks my husband.

"Yes, I am sure." Eric replies with a smirk in my direction. Uh-oh… there go the panties again.

"Oh well, you can't blame me for asking." She smiles back at him, and then turns once again towards Andre, who is still holding my wrist. (I thought that I had felt his tongue flick it a second ago, but by the time I had registered the feeling, it was gone and I couldn't prove anything. It was just creepy. I got a flash of irritation through the bond about the same time, so I think that Eric might've seen it as well.) "Andre, please taste Mrs. Northman and tell us what you can."

Quick as a wink, he makes a small cut over my vein with his thumbnail, and allows the blood to well for a few seconds. When there is a decent amount pooled over the cut, but not enough to begin to run down my wrist, he bends his head slightly and brings his lips to my wound. I can feel the now familiar tug run through my body as he pulls in a small mouthful before running his tongue sensuously over the cut, sealing it up. I watch as he rolls my blood around in his mouth, not yet having dropped my wrist, and I shudder as he gives out a deep moan.

In that same instant, Eric is beside me, pulling my arm from Andre's grasp, and holding me tightly to his side. Andre turns towards me; his eyes now hooded with lust and need, and takes one step towards me, then another. Eric growls, quickly pushing me behind him and Pam is instantly at his side. They have effectively barricaded me behind their bodies, their defensive postures a dead giveaway that I should be very afraid right now. _And oh boy, let me tell you, I am so there!_ I crouch behind them, making myself into the tiniest target possible. Just when I think that a fight is inevitable, the Queen pulls me to my feet, and away from the danger.

"Andre, Eric, Pam- ENOUGH! There will be no fighting in my home. Eric, take your wife and comfort her. Andre, she is off limits, you will not touch her again, is that understood?" the Queen all but bellows at the still violence-prone vampires.

"Yes Master," Andre says, bowing deeply in her direction.

Eric comes and takes me into his arms, walking us a safe distance away from Andre and his creeptastic stare.

Still looking at Andre, the Queen says, "Tell us what you have found. It was very obviously potent, whatever it was."

"She is Fae, at least in part any ways. I would guess that due to the amount of blood that the Northman has given her, the magic in her has increased exponentially, thereby making the amount of fae blood in her stronger. Right now, she is nearly half Fae, and it has been so long since I have tasted anything quite so exquisite. I am sorry for my inability to contain myself just now, Your Majesty." He turns to look at Eric and I, bows his head in our direction, and says, "Eric Northman, I apologize for trying to harm your mate." Eric simply nods his head in acknowledgement.

_What, no apology for me, the human you almost just ate? _I think angrily.

'_Don't worry lover, by apologizing to me, he is apologizing to us both. That is how it is done in the vampire world. And he wouldn't have gotten close enough to eat you. That too, is my pleasure alone.' _I hear Eric's amusement as he once again squeezes me tightly to his side.

"What does this mean for us Andre?" the Queen asks him.

I try to pay attention to their conversation while talking to Eric silently. We had already agreed not to let them know that we can hear each other's thoughts, and I certainly don't want to be the one to let them in on the secret.

"Well, I have tasted blood like this before, but it has been so long, since as you know, the Fae are having a hard time living in our world now. They are very hard to find, and when you do find them, they are usually so poisoned with all of the toxins this world has to offer that they no longer taste pure. This one, however, tastes so pure that I cannot help but think…" he trails off, thinking to himself.

'_What does he mean, Fae? I have some kind of magic in my blood? Is it because of me drinking so much of yours?'_

'_No my love, it means that somewhere in your family line, someone was a Fairy.'_

'_Fairy? You mean like the gay kind of fairy? No one in my family was gay, well, except for Hadley apparently, but what would her liking other girls have to do with my blood?'_

_He chuckles at that, 'No lover, Fairy, as in fairy tales, fairy magic, and fairy godmothers. You have Fairy blood running in your veins, and judging by the way Andre reacted, I would be willing to bet that it isn't any ordinary Fairy blood either.'_

"If I had to guess, I would say that she reminds me of the one time that I caught a Fairy of the royal Sky line. It has been so long, but that's what I think." Andre finally answers.

"A royal bloodline? But the royals never mix with humans." The Queen says thoughtfully.

"There is one case that I know of, but I had never made the connection until now. It has always been rumored that Niall Brigant had a human lover many centuries ago. He has always been fond of the humans, you know. If it is true, then the other rumors might be as well. It is said that he fathered twin sons with his human lover, Fintan and Dermot. Dermot, hating his humanity, sided with Niall's enemies, while Fintan choose his father's side. It is also said that Fintan too, loved a human woman, though I had not heard of him fathering any children with her. However, if he did, I would guess that Mrs. Northman is either a child of their union, or even possibly a grandchild. I do know that Fintan did spend most of his time in Northern Louisiana while in this realm, so it is not altogether far-fetched." he says to her.

"What of this Eric? Were you aware of this?"

"No, Your Majesty. I knew that her blood was sweeter than that of a pure human, and though I figured that there might be something supernatural about her based on her telepathy, I was never led to believe that _this_ was the case. But it would help make sense of the fact that Niall Brigant has been in contact with me over the last fifty years or so. I thought it odd that he was willing to work with me concerning certain business ventures we have in common, but knowing the love Fairies have for all things shiny, I just assumed that business was the extent of our relationship. He has never asked me about anyone who resided in my area specifically, nor has he ever mentioned his sons to me. But I can contact him if necessary, and I will do so if you wish. Perhaps he can clear up some of our questions."

"Please do so. I would like to meet with him anyways, and to have a family tie to him would be wonderful. Please promise him safety in my home, and that I will be willing to clear my personal guards out of the immediate vicinity to facilitate his well being. If he agrees, Andre, you will need to get some Were's in here as hired bodyguards for the duration of the meeting."

Both Eric and Andre utter their agreement at the same time.

"Pam, leave us. I wish to speak to your Master and Mistress alone." She says to Pam, and waits for the door to close behind her before continuing, "Now, for the reason I called you here. As you well know Eric, I am in negotiations to marry the King of Arkansas, though I am doubtful of his true intentions. I have heard rumors that it is his intention to marry me and then take Louisiana from me, all without the hassle of a coup. I fear that he plans to bring about my final death, and as I have no wish for that to happen, I decided to use one of the newest resources available to me in my kingdom. I thought that since he seems to regard his humans as little more than mindless animals, your lovely bride here might be able to pick up on his true reason for being here by reading his humans for me. I know that he talks in front of them, and he is not yet aware that she is a telepath."

"Sookie is very talented and effective. I have used her services, much to my benefit, as you are well aware. We have also traveled to both Texas and Mississippi, where her ability has been both requested and helpful in finding missing vampires. I am confident that she will be able to help you, should she accept your terms. However, I too, have terms that must be agreed upon before I will agree to let her work for you here. I request that she never be left unguarded by no less than two trustworthy Were's at a time during the day. At night, her safety will be taken care of by myself and those that work for me. Also, she will be paid for her services. My wife is a very modern woman, and I agree that she should get paid for the work that she does. I will not force her to work unpaid."

"I understand, and I agree with your terms Eric. I will pay her $1000 a day and an extra $1000 each night that I require her services. She will report only to you, and you will then report to me, or to Andre if I am unavailable. During the day if my safety requires it, she can report to Quinn, my head of daytime security, though he will not know the full extent of the situation. He will be told only that he is to follow any commands that she gives him regarding my safety without question."

"Understandable," Eric says. Then he asks if there is any specific way she wants me to go about getting any information.

"I want her to mingle with Arkansas' entourage, and if they ask who she is, she is to tell them that she is your pet. I do not want word to get back to Arkansas that she is bound so closely to you, and thereby to me. I would also like her to listen to my humans, as I am unsure if he has promised anything to my own people to help him reach his goals. I expect a report from you every night. I will tell Arkansas that I am having you do some work for me regarding one of my many projects here so as not to raise any suspicions with our meetings. Is this agreeable to the both of you?" she asks us.

"Please give me a moment to confer with my wife before I accept on her behalf." Eric requests with a slight nod.

She nods her agreement, and Eric places his hand on the small of my back to lead me to the far corner of the room. I know that no matter what we say, she will be able to hear every word of it, but I also know that Eric led us here so that she wouldn't be able to see that we are carrying on a separate silent conversation as well.

"Dear one, what she is proposing is fair, but I want to make sure that you are comfortable with the terms." He says quietly for her benefit.

'_She is asking nothing that I think would put you in immediate danger, my love. I believe that she is genuinely worried about what the king might be planning. I will make sure that you are well taken care of, I promise you.'_ he says in my mind.

"The only thing I'm worried about is how long before someone tries to kill me again?" I say quietly as well.

'_But Eric, how can she protect me during the day. I know that you trust her, so I will, but what happens if he finds out that I'm spying for her?'_ I ask him silently.

"No one will try to kill you here, Sweetheart. You are safe inside the Queens home."

'_I will personally pick out the Were's who will be protecting you. I already have a call into Alcide's packmaster, and he is sending Alcide down here along with some of his best wolves. You are considered to be a Friend of the Pack, so they are sworn to protect you with their lives. You will be fine. Then, you will be beside me each and every night. I will keep you safe; you are everything to me now.'_ Eric says to reassure me.

"Alright, I agree. I'll do it." I say out loud.

'_I love you Mrs. Northman._' He whispers quietly in my mind, as he takes my hand and walks us back towards the Queen.

"She is a Friend of the Shreveport Were pack, and I had already contacted them prior to our arrival to cover her security during the day while we are away from home. If you will agree to pay their security wages, then we will accept your terms, Your Majesty. I'm assuming you will want her to start tomorrow?" Eric asks the Queen.

"Yes, tomorrow. She can come and go from my home as she wishes, so long as she is available to attend any party or gala over the next week where he and his entourage will be present. I will have an itinerary made up for her, both for the humans, and the vampire events. And I'll agree to pay them. The fact that she is a Friend of the Pack means that her safety is insured, which makes us both feel better I'm sure."

"Of course. We will see you then tomorrow night." Eric says taking my hand, and we walk out of the room; thankfully away from one, if not two, of the scariest teenage vampires I have ever met. _I did learn a few things tonight though. I learned that not only are Fairies real, but apparently I am part Fairy. I also learned that vampires like to eat Fairies, and I'm not gonna lie to you, that has me more than just a little bit worried. _

'_Lover, did you try to read the Queen or Andre tonight?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_And? Any luck?'_

'_Yes.'_

I am guessing Eric and I are going to have to do some serious talking tonight.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Beta Misticbutterfly, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	14. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

*0*0*0*0*

**EPOV**

I take Sookie's hand as we walk out of Sophie-Anne's office, still pondering all that I have learned in our meeting.

_The Queen believes that there may be a plot against her, possibly involving her future husband. We also learn that she thinks that some of her own people might be involved in that plot. But most importantly we found out that my Sookie, my lover and my wife, is part Fae. Looking back, it makes sense. No 'normal' human carries any special talents or abilities. It would explain why so many of the supernatural beings she comes across are so drawn to her, and why humans seem to be almost repulsed by her 'otherness'. _

_It also makes sense of Niall's willingness to go into business with a vampire. It would give him a reason to be in my Area without alerting me or drawing undo attention to himself. But, Niall is a crowned Prince, currently the head Patriarch reigning over all of the Fae. He would be a powerful person to be allied with, but an even more powerful enemy to cross. I need to contact him immediately. First of all, I need to find out the truth of Sookie's family tree, and second, I need to make sure that he knows that I will not let anything happen to her. She is mine now._

_If it weren't for the intense love I feel for her as my mate, I might even be tempted to say that her Fae blood was the reason I couldn't get her off of my mind as well. It is a well known fact in the supernatural realm that Fairies are 'vampire crack'. Once we get a smell, or taste of them, we just can't stop until every last drop is gone. (What was that potato chip commercial on TV years ago? "Once you pop, you just can't stop." It's kinda like that for us.)_

_However, I have fed from her many times, and I have never been pulled into the deep bloodlust that Fae blood usually brings on for my kind. I have felt that before, and while her blood is indeed sweeter than any I have ever tasted in the millennium that I have walked this earth, I have never felt the need to drain every last drop from her body. I have been tempted to do it, to alleviate my initial interest in her and then my need for her. I have been tempted to do it so I can turn her and keep her by my side for eternity, but I have never __**needed**__ to do it. _

In the few seconds that it takes me to consider this, I realize that I have forgotten to ask her to try to read the Queen and Andre while we were in there. I got sidetracked, which is highly unusual for me, by her Fae lineage. I don't want to ask her aloud about it, but I am curious nonetheless. I decide to play around with our newfound ability to speak telepathically with each other. _I won't lie, it's actually kinda fun. (I have plans to use this to my advantage at a later point in time. I can't wait to watch her squirm in a room full of people as I send her images of me taking her, over and over again.)_ I can't help smirking as I speak to her, mind to mind.

'_Lover, did you try to read the Queen or Andre tonight?'_

'_Yes,' she answers hesitantly._

'_And? Any luck?'_

'_Yes.'_

Okay, that doesn't sound so good. She sounds scared by whatever it is that she heard.

'_Please just wait until we get back to the hotel, Eric. I'm having a hard enough time walking out of here without having to pretend nothing is wrong.'_

'_As you wish, my Love.'_

***0*0*0*0***

"Meet us in our room immediately." I text Pam and quickly snap my phone shut.

I'm glad that I took the time to check our hotel room for surveillance devices while Sookie and I "talked" about what she heard in the Queen's office. I find two of them; one underneath the coffee table in the suite's living room area, and one behind the head board in the bedroom. I reprogram the one in the living room so that the only thing it would intermittently pick up was a local county and blues station or nothing but static. (It's amazing the things a vampire can learn in night school.) I decide to leave the one in the bedroom alone; figuring that whoever might be listening would be less likely to try to replace the 'malfunctioning' device in the living room if we gave them something to listen to in the bedroom. And did I ever plan on giving them something to listen to in there!

It is my hope that Sookie and I can convince them that she is unable to find any evidence against the King of Arkansas. That is, until we are able to give the Queen enough information to stop the coup attempt. And yes, there will be a coup attempt.

I hear Pam walk up to the door, and I know that she can feel my apprehension through our maker/child bond. I open the door before she can knock, and signal for her to remain quiet while in the suite.

"Alright Sookie, we need to hurry if we are going to make the show. You look beautiful, as always. Come; let me get the door for you." I say out loud, as I walk to the bedroom and shut the door silently. "We will speak in whispers only from here on out please, Pamela." I say to her, and she nods to let me know she understands.

Sookie and I have previously agreed that we would need to let Pam in on Sookie's little secret in order for her to keep Sookie safe. We also need to see if she and Pam are able to communicate as well. I figure that it's a possibility, since my blood magic was used to create her, and it is partially due to my blood and our bond that Sookie and I are able communicate this way.

"Sookie and I need to tell you something, but I need you to understand that nothing goes farther than this conversation."

"Yes Master."

"Lover, see if you can hear her." I whisper, and I can see Pam's eyebrow's lift, but I hold up my hand to stave off her questions.

'_She's wondering what you're talking about and if I can really do it. Now she's wondering if it is possible and how long I have been listening to vampire's thoughts without saying anything. She's wondering why I'm still alive if I have been able to do this for however long.'_

"She's still alive because I love her and she is my wife. We just found out about this last night, right after we exchanged blood again. I figure that it must have something to do with the combination of my blood magic and her own, now that we know that she is part Fae." I say to Pam, who can't hide her astonishment, and then turning to Sookie once again, I say, "Now, see if she can hear you."

I watch as Pam's eyes widen in reaction to "hearing" Sookie's voice in her mind. I know exactly what she is feeling. Surprise is topping the short list of emotions coursing through her body right now, I'm sure. I open my mind, trying to catch even a snippet of Pam and Sookie's conversation, but I'm not able to hear anything.

"Okay, so I can hear Sookie, and so can you, but I can't hear either of you when you are talking to each other. Sookie, try talking to both of us at the same time, I have an idea that might just work. Pam, I want you to concentrate on talking to both Sookie and I, while I will try to talk to both of you as well. Maybe if we are all 'linked together'," I make little air quotation marks with my fingers as I say this, "we can all speak without anyone knowing what is going on."

As I open my mind, instantly "hearing" Sookie, I try to mentally reach out and touch Pam's mind. Sookie is telling Pam to relax, and to open her own mind. I can sense Pam, but once she takes Sookie's advice, I am bombarded with Pam's frantic voice in my head.

'_What if this doesn't work? Shit! What if this_ _**does**_ _work? Will I ever be able to have any privacy again? Sookie, can you just rifle through my mind whenever you want now and find out anything about me, or are there limitations to this?' _Pam asks her worriedly.

'_I think it works on you guys the same way it works on humans and Were's. You have to be thinking about something for me to be able to pick up on it. Besides, I have to actually concentrate to hear a vampire's mind, where with normal people, unless I have my shields up, I can hear everyone all at once. When I was in Jackson, I found out that if Alcide needed for me to know something specific he could focus, and sort of project his thoughts towards me, and even if I had my shields up, I could hear him. So yes, there are limitations.' _Sookie replies to her.

'_Good, I guess. But I want you to promise that unless I either project my thoughts at you, or you warn me, that you will never read my thoughts. You might be my Mistress now, but there are many things that you have no right to know unless I choose to share them with you.'_

'_Don't worry Pam,' _I interject into their conversation,_ 'Sookie will not break our trust.'_

Both sets of blue eyes instantly turn towards me.

'_Now that we are all connected telepathically, let's get on to a touchier subject. Earlier, while we were in the Queens' office, Sookie was able to read both the Queen and Andre's minds. Sookie, will you please tell Pam what you found out?' _I motion for Sookie to continue.

'_I decided to try to listen to the Queen once I realized that I could 'hear' her, just to make sure that she was telling us the truth, and not coming up with some elaborate plan to take me away from Eric. I was able to verify her fear and worry rather quickly, as well as finding that she was slightly disappointed that Eric and I were now married and she could not force me to stay with her. Then I turned to Andre, and what I heard in his head truly terrified me. I had to concentrate on keeping a neutral face, because I knew that if he even suspected that I so much as had an inkling of what he was thinking, I was a dead woman.'_

Sookie pauses to take a deep breath, just as if she were speaking aloud. _'I don't need to go hang out with the Kings humans, I learned everything I needed to know tonight- straight from Andre's mind. Andre is part of the plot against the Queen. Even though she is his maker, he is angry that she has never allowed him to leave her side. He thinks that she treats him like a lap dog. The King approached him several months ago, proposing that Arkansas and Louisiana would wed, and then the King would manufacture an excuse of betrayal, giving him the right to finally end her life and thereby becoming the sole ruler of both states. In return for Andre's help, you know- like telling the Queen that Andre thought it would be a good match and all, the King would give Andre his own Area to be sheriff of.'_

'_What about the fact that the Queen obviously knows about this plot to overthrow her?' _Pam asks Sookie.

I take over at this point, having already heard all of this once before._ 'Andre is supposed to help with that as well. He has convinced the Queen that he is on her side in all of this. It is his plan to be the one to gather all of the reports, and then give the Queen nothing but false information. He also intends to kill me during the coup and take Sookie for his own, now that he has tasted her blood.' _I watch a shudder travel throughout Sookie's petite frame, just as a wave of revulsion crosses through our bond. I reach out and take her hand,_ 'Trust me my Love, nothing will happen to you. I will make sure of that.'_

'_Okay and where does this leave all of us?' _Pam asks me.

'_Sookie will mingle among the Kings' humans tomorrow afternoon like we originally planned, and then tomorrow evening, I will give Andre a report saying that she has heard nothing yet. Then I will find a way to let the Queen know that Andre is involved, though I may need your help to keep him distracted long enough for me to speak with her. I thought about letting you speak to her first, but I am afraid that without me explaining all of this,' _I wave my hand between the three of us to indicate our telepathic connection,_ 'to her, she will feel like I have betrayed her trust, and will not believe you, or worse, she might believe that you, or we, are in on the plot. I plan on asking the Queen to pretend to seduce you as a reason to be alone with you, and you will then be able to tell her the truth of the situation without Andre learning any of this. I think he will believe that the two of you are attracted to each other, as it is well known that the both of you prefer the company of other women.'_

Sookie steps in at this point, saying,_ 'I will try to see if Alcide can hear me as well. I know that Barry the bell boy did back in the hotel in Dallas, but I think that was only because he was a telepath as well. Eric and I decided that we need to let Alcide in on the secret as well, since he is going to be the one watching me during the day. But we won't be telling him everything. He will only know that my "ability' has expanded enough for me to be able to project my thoughts into his head as well as reading his, allowing for silent conversations between us. He will not know that I can read vampires now, nor will he know that the three of us can communicate this way. We will, however, tell the Queen, but only because she will need to know. But even she will not know _everything_.'_

I once again take over the conversation to explain,_ 'I plan to tell her only that the three of us are able to hear each other, and that I can only assume that is it because we all share my blood now. I fear that if we told her everything, she would think that Sookie was too much of a threat to all vampires, and end her life right away. As you well know my child, we vampires guard our secrets jealously, do we not?' _

I turn away from Pam to look into Sookie's eyes and I hold out my hand to her, _'Now, dear wife, I believe we have a show to put on in the other room. Care to join me?'_

I can only smirk as I "hear" Sookie say to Pam,_ 'Pam, please lock the door behind you on your way out. Thank you.'_

***0*0*0*0***

**Andre's POV**

"Oh FUCK Eric, yes, right there, unh, unh, unh, OH MY GOD! YES! YES! HARDER!"

I have been listening to these two for the last three and a half hours. By my count, Sookie has had seven orgasms and Eric has had three. Although there have been a few rest stops in between sessions, this has been pretty much non-stop.

I can only imagine the things that undead fucker is doing to my Fairy girl.

I have already told the King about her telepathy, though I kept the bit about her fairy blood to myself, and demanded her as part of my payment for the betrayal of my maker. I only tell him that she is interesting to me, and that I think she will make a nice pet for a while.

I unzip my pants, once again, taking my dick in my hand as I imagine her screaming my name instead of his, as her pussy walls clench around me in ecstasy. I pump my hand along to the rhythm of the bed springs, harder and faster as they pick up speed, feeling my approaching orgasm, just as Eric and Sookie both scream out theirs. I watch as my pink-tinged seed spurts from the tip of my cock and lands on the towel I laid across my lap previously, mingling with the cum I have already deposited on it during their earlier rounds of fucking.

Soon, very soon, Sookie will be screaming another name as she cums, and there will be no need for this towel.

Eric will be no more; my king will make sure of that. He already knows that Eric is loyal to his queen, and that he will fight to help her keep her territory.

I have taken steps to make sure that Eric will only be reporting anything that Sookie's finds to me, not the Queen. I am the one who convinced her to call him in the first place, just as I am the one who started all of the rumors she has been hearing.

Eric and I have a grudge to settle. That score will be settled only when he has lost everything he holds dear. He needs to feel what it is like to have his undead heart ripped out of his chest, just like he did to me. And when he meets his final death, well, that will be the icing on my very own proverbial cake. I will never forget her, nor will I ever forget what he did to her.

Greta.

_She was my love, my mate, but before I could turn her and keep her with me forever, she saw him. He wanted her, and whatever the Northman wants, he takes. He took her to his bed, and after that, she wanted nothing to do with me ever again. She tried to say that it was because I wasn't as nice to her as he was, but I knew the truth. He had glamoured her into thinking that he was better than I was, better at everything. But I will prove him wrong. Sookie cannot be glamoured; I know this to be true. So, when she tells him that I am indeed the better vampire, he will be devastated. _

It will almost be too easy to stake him then, almost. I want to watch him turn to dust. I want to fuck his wife on his ashes.

Only then will we be even.

Only then will I have won.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Beta Misticbutterfly, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**SPOV**

After talking to Alcide early this morning and explaining what is going on, he and I decide to meet outside my hotel room at 1:00 to head to the Queens residence for lunch. I figure that it will be the best place to pretend to 'listen' in on the humans, just in case Andre or the King is keeping tabs on me throughout the daytime hours. I don't want to act suspicious, or to give anything away before we are able to get the information to the Queen.

Eric has also set it up so that the Queen will be given a note from him as she rises for the evening. In the note, Eric explains that we have some information that she needs to know concerning our little operation, but that it is unsafe for him to deliver it directly to her. He asks instead that she seek out Pam during a Meet and Greet she is hosting tonight, pretend to seduce her, and take her some place private. He informs her that Pam will be able to fill her in on all of the details concerning everything that Sookie has learned, but that the take-over attempt is real and that it reaches much closer to her than she can ever imagine.

After hanging out with the "Monotonous Minions", otherwise known as Arkansas' human entourage for the rest of the afternoon, I have seen lots of mental images that I wish I could bleach from my mind forever. But, besides some truly horrendous thoughts concerning the size and ability of The King's cock _(Which are seriously conflicting just in case you were wondering- I guess the guy isn't above glamouring his lovers to make them think that they enjoyed him.)_, I didn't hear anything of importance.

Before I know it, it's almost time to head back to my room and start getting ready for the Queen's get-together tonight. As Alcide and I start the walk back to our hotel room, he mentally informs me that he thinks that we are being followed. We decide to stop at a sidewalk café for some dinner and to talk about everything that is going on, just to try to see who it is following us. While we are eating, I open my mind to all of the other people in the café, to see if anyone means us any type of harm. I touch on a mind that chills me to the core. I immediately snap to attention and scan the crowd with my eyes, looking for the face I dread seeing; Debbie.

Debbie Pelt, the bitch who tried to kill me by pushing me into the car trunk with a very hungry Bill back in Mississippi. But what is she doing here, now, spying on us? Does this have to do with her obsession with Alcide, or is she working with Arkansas too? Alcide notices my worried expression, and asks what I'm hearing.

"It's Debbie, she's here," I answer him.

"_My_ Debbie," he asked incredulously, "what's she doing here?"

"I have no clue why she's here, Alcide, but I don't think it's for anything good. You do remember that she tried to kill me, right? Why are you even still with her?" I ask him, irritated by his continued attachment to such an evil creature.

"Now Sookie, you don't know for sure that it was her. You said yourself that you never did see who pushed you in that trunk with Bill. Besides, you made it out of there just fine. No harm, no foul, right?" he answers, showing such unwarranted devotion to her, and it makes my blood boil.

"In case you don't remember Alcide, I'm a telepath- I don't need to _see_ someone to confirm who they are. And yes, I did make it out of that trunk, but if _you _remember, I almost didn't. Bill almost killed me that night, not to mention the near rape I had to endure before he came to his senses," I say angrily. "So I don't much appreciate the 'no harm, no foul' comment, Mr. Herveaux."

"Sookie, There's no need to be like that. Debbie may not be the most caring person, but she's certainly not all bad. I don't think that you should judge…" He starts to say just as we hear her voice call out his name.

"Alcide Herveaux. Why are you in New Orleans with this bitch? I knew you were cheating on me, you dog!" she screeches, and I catch some sort of weird chanting in her mind.

Her lips start moving silently, following the chant in her mind. I'm trying to figure out what it could mean when she throws some sort of dust in our faces, taking us by surprise. In less than a second, my body is paralyzed. I can't talk or move. I see a look of panic cross Alcide's face, quickly followed by anger. I think he might finally realize _now_ that I'm not just saying bad things about her for the hell of it.

'_Sookie, what's going on? I can't move, can you?'_ I hear him ask in my head. I try once more to move and I can't, so I shift my eyes one way then the other quickly to tell him 'no'.

After that, the only thing I can pick out of his mind is _'shitshitshitshit!'_

"Oh, poor Alcide, and his little slut, too. What's the matter, can't you move? Oh no, how did this happen?" she whispers sarcastically, so that only we can hear her. The bitch is having fun with us, as she continues with, "Don't you remember meeting my mama Alcide? Did you forget that she's a witch? Well, guess what baby? She taught me a few things, oh yes she did. She taught me to fight for what is mine, and _you_, Alcide, are mine. When the King of Arkansas hired me to grab your _fling_ here, I jumped at the chance. I figured that since I couldn't kill her, I could at least ship her off to another state. That way, she's out of our hair baby, and you can focus on us again."

_OK, I'm changing my mind. She's not just an evil bitch, she' bat-shit crazy as well._

I feel a warm set of masculine arms wrap roughly around my midsection and pull me backwards off my feet. He lifts me into the air, and holds me in his arms as if we are lovers, his unusually snarled head keeping all but the basic thoughts from my searching mind. He's thinking about how easy it would be to 'have a little fun' with me in this condition, and the pictures, though fuzzy, are entirely too graphic for my liking.

I desperately want to scream and put up a fight, but I can't even lift a finger, let alone pitch a toddler-esque style fit. I slip into the minds around me, hoping to hear that someone, _anyone_, is calling 911, but in every mind I enter, we look like nothing more than a couple playing around. To add to that effect, both Debbie and the Were holding me are spouting crap that would put even the most love-sick couples to shame. He places me into the front seat of a typical kidnapper van (you know the ones; white cargo-style van with the rear windows painted over. The only way it could have been creepier is if he had spray-painted "this is my kidnapping van" or "my other van is for children" on the side in bold red letters) and pulls the seat belt into place over my chest and lap.

I realize that I can't give in to my desire to panic. I need to try to communicate with Eric, though I'm not sure if he will hear me while he's still dead for the day. I open my mind and my bond, feeling the gentle humming sensation that connects me to my dangerous and powerful vampire husband.

'_ERIC!'_ I scream silently, _'Debbie Pelt is working for Arkansas. She put a spell on me and Alcide, and now some Were is kidnapping me! Come find me, please!'_

I fling this out as I concentrate on my love for Eric and the bond that we have between us. I feel a stirring coming from the bond, but nothing more. I can only hope that they will not take me too far for Eric to be able to find me. And find me, he will. Of that, I have no doubts.

***0*0*0*0***

**EPOV**

I wake in a panic. Something is wrong. Sookie! I can feel her fear through our bond and I literally jump out of the bed. I can feel that the sun is still up, and I know that there is no way that I can get to her right now. I immediately try to calm my emotions, and then I send Sookie some reassurance through the bond. I need her to remain calm while I try to figure out what has happened today.

Within minutes of my waking, Pam is knocking at my door. I can only guess that she has felt my own rising emotional state and has come to find out what has happened. I pull open the door and step aside to allow my child to enter the suite.

"Master, what has happened?" she asks me quietly, still adhering to my mandate on whispering yesterday.

"Hold on one moment Pam," I zoom to the bedroom and reach behind the headboard. I grab the listening device hidden there, walk to the bathroom, and flush it down the toilet. I then walk back into the living room area to continue speaking with Pam.

"Something has happened to Sookie." I say to her without preamble.

"Do you think that Arkansas would've jumped this fast? I thought everything was still in the planning stages."

"I don't know if this is his doing, or if this is because of Andre, or if this is something else entirely, Pamela. I do know, however, that whoever has my wife will not live past this night."

We have to wait until it is safe for us to make our way to the Queen's residence, but that doesn't mean that I can't call and warn her. I flip open my cell, and search my contacts for the Queens emergency number. Only the sheriffs in her territory have this number, and we have been forbidden to use it unless heads were literally rolling. I figure that this might qualify, since it might be her head that does the rolling.

"Eric, you are lucky that I am so old, or else you would not have gotten an answer. Now, tell me what has prompted you to call this number this early. Don't you have a meeting with Andre in just a few hours?" she asks curiously.

"Your Majesty, I could not wait, nor would I speak to him about this. I nee-"

"I believe that I told you that you were to speak to him just the same as if he were me. Did I not make myself clear enough for you sheriff?" she cut me off, anger evident in her voice.

"Please, let me explain what has happened before you jump to conclusions, Your Majesty."

I can hear the door to her chambers open and close, as footsteps approach her. "Hold on a moment, Eric, it would seem that someone has sent me a note they insist I read immediately."

I know that she is holding my note in her hands, the one requesting her to get Pam alone so that Pam could explain what we know to be true. I hear her refold the note card and slip it back into the envelope, as well as the sound of flames as she destroys to note, just as I asked her to.

"Alright, I assume you know that I just read and destroyed a note from you, would you care to explain why you have disregarded your own instructions to me by calling me?" she says, then abruptly changes her mind, "Never mind, I am sending a car for you and you can tell me when you get here."

I agree and snap my phone shut. Pam has heard the conversation, and begins to ready herself for the Queen. Within minutes the front desk calls up to inform us that a car has arrived, and we make our way to the front lobby. We watch in the shadows as the last rays of the sun fade before we exit the building and get into the waiting limousine.

Once we get to the Queens residence, only blocks from our hotel, we are escorted into the Queens private chambers. She is waiting for us, still in her dressing gowns, with her eyebrow raised in question.

"Well, tell me, what is so important Eric, that you are willing to risk my anger this early in the evening."

"Sookie has been abducted. I can feel her stress and fear through our bond, and I cannot go to her yet. I decided that I needed to call you to make you aware of what Sookie found out last night, so that you could ready yourself for whatever may happen." I say, knowing that this will catch her attention. "I need to make sure that however you communicate with your children mentally is 'turned off'. No one can know what I am about to tell you. Your life and hers depends on it."

"My children cannot hear me, nor I them, unless I enter their minds. Even then, they can only hear our conversations. My gift is not like Sookie's; it's more like mental walkie-talkies." She says to explain how her gift works. "Tell me Eric, what did she find out?"

"You are not safe. Not only is the King planning on a very hostile take-over, but he has recruited your own child to help him." I barely get this out before I hear her gasp in surprise.

"You know this to be fact?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I do. Sookie heard it directly from Andre's mind."

"I thought that she was not able to read our kind, that's what you told me before. Did you lie to me, Eric?"

"No Your Majesty, this is a new devolvement in her powers. We only realized it on our wedding night. We have shared blood so many times, our bond is exceptionally strong. When we found out that she could hear me, we were both shocked. We were even more surprised to realize that I could hear her as well. Then last night, we brought Pam into the mix, only to see if this new expansion was only between us, or if she could communicate this way with others as well. What we found out surprised all of us. We learned that if we all opened our minds to each other, we could speak mind to mind. But this only works if Sookie is involved. Without her, Pam and I cannot hear each other. I figure that it has to do with all three of us sharing my blood magic."

"This is certainly an interesting development, but I fail to see how, if she can only read the two of you, that she was able to pick up any thoughts from my child's head," she interrupts me once more.

"I was getting to that. I did not say that we were the only ones that Sookie is able to read, just that we cannot read each other without her help. Sookie is able to read vampires much like she can read other supernatural creatures. Before our last episode of sharing blood, she was able to get 'pictures' from the Were's, but not always full thoughts, unless the Were's in question are broadcasters, or so she says. Now she can read Were's just as clearly as most humans, and she can read some vamps like she used to be able to read the Were's. It would seem that Andre is an extremely clear broadcaster. When Sookie accidentally heard some of what he was thinking, she decided to enter his thoughts so that she could help you out."

I watched the emotions play out on the Queens face, starting with disbelief and ending in something close to fear.

"If this is true, what did she hear? What has Andre done?" she asks so quietly that if I didn't have vampire senses, I wouldn't have heard anything at all.

"He is the one behind the rumors. The King approached him several months ago, and offered him his own area if he would help the King bring you down. Sookie said that she heard him thinking about how it was him who had talked you into accepting the Kings attempts at negotiating a marriage contract between the two of you."

"He did. He kept telling me that since it had been so long since I had been approached, that no one else was likely to offer anytime soon. But he's my child, he cannot kill me, it would go against his very nature," she whispers.

"As you well know, there are many ways for a child to betray their makers' bond. We have both seen it time and time again, Your Majesty. If a vampire is greedy enough, they will stop at nothing to obtain their goals," I answer confidently. I have seen many instances where this exact thing has happened. We are cold, soulless creatures when we want to be.

"Enough!" She commands, silencing me, "I will talk to the King and see what he has to say in his defense, and I will deal with my child my own way. Please stay, I might need your sword before the night is over."

"I cannot, I must find my wife. I can feel her fear, and I know that she is calling to me. Please give me leave to go to her." I plead, ready to fall to my knees and beg if need be.

"That was not a request, Sheriff. You might even find that the King will be willing to give her up once he knows that he can no longer have Louisiana."

"You can't honestly believe that he will willingly give up a telepath just because he can't murder you anymore, can you?" Now I am the one staring slack-jawed in disbelief.

"He knows nothing of my assets yet. There is no way he could know about Sookie's abilities," she answers.

"Have you already forgotten about Andre's involvement? He knows exactly what Sookie is, especially now, and even if the King doesn't want her, it was very apparent last night that Andre does. I will not leave my wife in either of their hands. I do not trust him, whether he is your child or not. I will stay to see what the King has to say, but if he refuses to give her up, I will fight tooth and nail to get to her. Even if it means angering you, she is my wife, my bonded, and my first priority," I say, feeling the anger within me start to rise.

"You forget yourself Sheriff, _I_ am your Queen. You owe _me_ your fealty."

"_She_ is my wife, I owe her _my life_," I say as I look to Pam to make sure that she is on the same wavelength I am. If the King denies that he has her, I will find her, and the gods help whoever is responsible for her fear. I can both see and feel Pam's agreement to my statements.

"Whatever," she dismisses my tone with a wave of her hand, and continues, "Have a seat while I summon the King and my child. I will confront them right away."

With that said she calls in one of her wait staff and instructs them to deliver a message to the King and to Andre, requiring them to meet with her in her private chamber immediately. Within minutes, the Kings messenger returns stating that the King will be here in ten minutes, while no one can seem to find Andre. It seems that he hasn't been seen since shortly after we left last night, nor did he sleep in his room this past day.

I'm guessing we have a runner. He better be able to run far and fast, because when I catch him, and I will catch him, I'm going to tear him limb from limb. I glance at Pam, only to see a wicked smile spreading across her face as well.

The hunt is on.

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Beta Misticbutterfly, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	16. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**SPOV**

"Drink, Sookie, and nothing will ever hurt you again, I promise. We will have eternity together, you will want for nothing ever again." I can barely hear Andre's voice as he sits beside me, his voice so serene it's as if he's speaking to his lover, "The King of Arkansas has promised to make me a sheriff once he brings Sophie-Anne to her final death. Eric will never again be able to tell you what to do." I can feel blood sluggishly trailing down my neck, pooling just above the collar of my Fangtasia T-shirt. My heart is struggling to continue beating. I try to fight back against him as he holds his own bloody wrist against my mouth, but my body is too weak to move.

I feel his cool breath, only millimeters from my ear as he whispers, "I will love you, and in time, you will love me too. I will have to be patient, I know that, but as your creator, you will be drawn to me and you will not be able to resist. So just drink, and soon all of your pain will fade away, and when you wake up in three nights you will see just how wonderful being one of us really is." I would rather die than to have his blood in me. I know what he is doing to me. He is stealing my life, changing me against my will.

I let my thoughts wander as his voice fades into nothingness, thinking about what has happened since I was shoved into a big white abduction-mobile this afternoon.

"_Now, don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, ain't nothing gonna happen to you…yet." The Were beside me chuckled smugly._

_I could see all of the disgusting thoughts traversing their way across his mind. Thoughts of me tied to his bed, him feasting on my body, swiping that lecherous mouth over my skin, his fingers tracing the curves and contours of my waist, hips and thighs._

"_Uhhhhnnnggg…uhhh" I tried to cry out against the magical force holding my body immobile, but it came out sounding more like a moan uttered in passion or longing._

"_That's right honey, you and me, we could have us some real fun. Too bad you're all caught up with them Fangers. Maybe I should teach you how a real man feels, it's not anything like some cold dead cock shoved up your warm pussy. I could give you some real heat." He looked over at me, and I couldn't help but groan at the sneer plastered across his lips. His eyes were glinting cruelly as he continued to speak while I, his unwilling traveling companion, could only sit there and listen._

"_I bet you'd be sopping wet, clamping down on my cock and screaming my name in seconds. I see you over there; you're already getting excited, aren't you? I bet you're nothing more than just some fang-banging whore that pathetically waits for any dead guy to fuck you and bite you." I wanted to kick and scream, or do anything to get away from him and both his silent and spoken thoughts._

_He kept talking to me like this for the next half hour or so, never letting up, telling me what he would do to my body if given the chance. His graphic thoughts flashed images of him roughly rubbing his hands over my mound, groping and pushing on it through my mind. _

_Finally we pulled off of the highway and onto a road that looked to be nothing more than a rarely used trail. I could see twin ruts worn into the red Louisiana earth, spaced just far enough apart to allow the van to bounce roughly through the trees, grass and weeds growing high on either side of the ruts. The shrill buzzing of the cicadas grew louder, as did the harmonious chirruping of the tree frogs as we progressed farther along, passing under a canopy of vines and tropical looking vegetation. I could only assume that we were heading to a bayou clearing, probably to one of the many cajun cottages that were so prevalent around New Orleans. I was guessing that this was yet another scheme Debbie had come up with to get rid of me. She was going to let this loser have his fun with me and then leave me to the alligators?_

_While I was thinking about whether or not the gators would prefer their Sookie dinner with or without ketchup, I caught a wholly unexpected face flash across the Were's mind. _

_Andre_

_Oh, fuck me!_

_I guessed that I wouldn't be getting off so easily now. Compared to Andre, I think I would prefer the gators. Hell, I'd even bring the friggin' ketchup myself._

_As I watched out the wide front window, I could see that the sun was setting. The lower the sun got, the more the Were beside me thought about Andre. I was getting nothing but snippets of thoughts, snarled and swirling with hatred and disgust. Suddenly, the van entered a clearing surrounding the expected ramshackle cabin. All of the windows save one were dark and broken. Only the one right next to the door showed any signs of life, the slow flicker of a lit candle danced over the fragments of broken glass still adhering to the rotted window frame. As I was slowly being hypnotized by the dancing flames, the door opened, spitting Andre out of its gaping mouth and deposited him on the crumbling front porch. He absently rubbed his hands together, a wicked smile creeping its way over his lips, showing that his fangs are fully extended._

_The Were brought the van to a stop mere inches from the sagging steps, and before he could shift into park, Andre wrenched the door beside me open, ripped the seatbelt in two, and pulled me forcibly from my seat. Surprisingly, he cradled me to his chest in what I was sure was meant to be a tender and loving embrace, and he whispered his desires into my ear. _

"_Sweet sweet Sookie, I have waited hundreds of years for someone like you, someone whom I could walk the earth with every night for millennia to come; someone to be by my side forever, someone like you. I will make all of your dreams come true, and you will be my faithful child and companion."_

_His child? Did he just say child? Oh shit, where was Eric already? This fucker was even sicker than I had originally thought. But even as I thought that, I knew that he was more than capable of turning me against my will. He was very old and very strong, not as strong as my husband, but much stronger than me. I knew that I would not be able to stop him, even if I had the full use of all of my limbs. I could only hope that Eric would find me before Andre did anything I would regret. I still wasn't completely sure if I really wanted to become a vampire or not. I mean, I knew that I wanted to be with Eric forever, and logically I knew that forever meant that I would eventually need to be turned, but I certainly wasn't ready for it to happen yet._

_I was pulled from my quickly approaching panic by the sound of retreating tires crunching over broken gravel, fallen twigs and small branches. I moved my eyes as far to the side as I could, catching sight of the back of the van as it disappeared back into the thick Louisiana vegetation. I mentally called out once more to Eric, hoping that even if he couldn't hear my desperate pleas, he would feel my panic and my love for him through our bond and find me before it was too late. Before I could blink, Andre had carried me into the cabin through the darkness and laid me down on a pile of rotting cloth. I assumed that this had served as the previous inhabitants bedding, judging by the stale smell of human sweat and other various smells cling to the fabrics. _

"_What I wouldn't give to sample that tight, invitingly warm body of yours right now, but unfortunately I will have to wait until you rise and join me. I fear that a certain Viking would find us too soon, and there are things that need to be done immediately in order for me to claim you completely." Andre's icy cold hand caressed my cheek as he spoke. Without warning, he descended, his fangs sinking painfully into the flesh of my neck, piercing the artery. I felt him pull mouthful after mouthful of my blood into his body, draining me with each tug of his tongue. _

_Seconds became painful minutes. Painful minutes became blistering hours, and hours became days. I felt my heart racing, struggling to move oxygen within my body, but not having enough blood to do the job properly. I could feel myself becoming dizzy, my thoughts swimming around my clouded mind. He was urging me to drink, and I couldn't move enough to refuse. I could feel the thick warm liquid enter my mouth, coating my tongue, and dribbling down my throat. I wanted to cough and gag, to expel his tainted blood from my body, but Debbie's spell continued to hold my body captive, and I could only lay there helplessly as he fed me from his wrist._

Suddenly my thoughts are becoming clearer, I can feel the warmth of blood in my veins, but strangely, my heart is barely pumping anymore. I listen as the irregular galloping slows, the pain in my chest becoming unbearable. My world is in blackness, my heart stops, and the pain disappears once and for all. I try to pull in a breath, but my body refuses to respond. I try again and again, but to no avail. I am dying, Andre has killed me.

No, Andre has succeeded in turning me, in creating me, in bring about my first death. I can feel the blackness getting thicker, pulling me under, and with the last ounce of fight left in my body, I force my lips to move and I scream out.

"I love you Eric!"

***0*0*0*0***

**EPOV**

Pam and I wait long enough to hear the King deny our accusations and to claim that he has no knowledge of either Sookie or Andre's whereabouts. I watch, numbly, as the Queen's guards surround him and chain him in silver, rendering him immobile. I cannot wait any longer; I can feel Sookie's rising panic through our bond. Without waiting for the Queens permission, I grab my child and run to the patio doors, flinging them open in my haste to get to my wife. I jump into the air, carrying Pam close to my chest, following the pull of mine and Sookie's bond.

We have been in the air for several minutes when I feel our bond weakening. I speed up, knowing that we are not far from Sookie now, worried that I will not make it in time to save her. I have always been on time. I cannot let her down now. But still, I have this nagging feeling, this panicky voice in my head, telling me that I am already too late. I fly over a retched smelling swamp, and land in a small clearing in front of one of the most dilapidated shacks I have ever seen. I drop Pam, almost throwing her from my arms as I take off running for the gaping front door just as the final string holding our bond together breaks. I push away the burning pain in my heart and blindly charge through each doorway, now tracking her through her scent alone.

I rush through the last doorway, and come to an abrupt halt, causing Pam to slam into my back. My fingers grip the doorframe as I take in the scene in front of me. It is only then that I realize that my hands have been rubbing my chest, right above my non-beating heart – the very spot where our bond had formed. Now, it is gone, breaking us apart as she lay dying. I feel like someone has reached into my chest and torn the organ from me, ripping me into shreds in the process. My heart is there no longer; instead, she's lying cradled in Andre's bloody embrace. I take a single step into the room, readying myself to take her broken body from his arms when I hear her whisper "I love you Eric," with her last breath. I throw my head back and cry out, throwing all of my pain into my voice; pleading with all of the gods in Valhalla that my Sookie would be fine, that this would be nothing more than a nightmare, and I would wake with her safely wrapped in my arms.

My world is shattered; his laughter is the soundtrack to my heartbreak.

"You lost this time Northman, she's mine now," he says, still laughing.

"She belongs to no one, she never did. She chose to love me, something you will never know, Andre. I will tear you apart for killing her," I say as I gather the muscles of my undead body to fling myself at him. I barely hear his next words; the rage flowing through my body is so intense. But what he says to me next brings me to my knees.

"She is indeed dead, for now. I drained her and gave her my blood. When she rises, she will see no one but me, and I will teach her how to be mine. I can just imagine all of the ways that she will please me."

'_Oh Sookie, I know that you are not ready for this. I know that we had talked, dreamt about this day, but now it has become a nightmare. But I will save you, I will make this right for you,'_ I vow silently to her as I stand up once more. I raise my head, dragging my eyes to his, knowing that he will see my fury.

"You will be nothing to her except dead. Give her to me," I say as I hold out my arms for her. I wait for a few seconds, and when he does not comply, I bellow, "NOW!"

He continues to refuse, though I can see the fear in his eyes as he watches me slowly approach him.

"Pamela, hold on to him while I see to my wife." I watch her move to him, and roughly pull him upright. He still has Sookie's lifeless body clutched closely to his body. I grab his arm and yank, both pulling it from his body and freeing Sookie from his grasp. I fling his arm aside as I catch Sookie, pulling her up into my arms, barely hearing his screams of pain.

I step away from them, bringing my face to the top of her head, and I draw in a breath. I can still smell her essence, only now it is tainted with Andre's scent as well. I know now that he is telling me the truth about turning her, but that will not save his sorry ass form meeting his true death at my hands. Gently, I turn and lower her to a mound of decaying fabric that is already soaked with her blood. I lay her down, and arrange her limbs into a pose that reminds me of the way she sleeps. I would love nothing more than to tear him limb from limb, but I have other plans for him now. He will beg for my mercy every single second that she is changing for what he has done to my beloved.

"Andre, you're such a stupid little fucktard, aren't you? I mean really, did you think messing with Eric was a good idea?" Pam hisses in his ear. She continues with a sinister smile, "Well, guess what Asshat? It was a really bad idea, and the last one you'll ever have. You've just pissed off a thousand year old vampire, and a Viking at that. They didn't call Vikings 'barbarian warriors' for nothing," she giggles, knowing that there would be bloodshed tonight. I will not make his final death pleasant by any means.

I tell Pam to chain him in silver, and I snap open my cell. No service. I'm not even getting a roaming signal. God damn it, how can people actually live this far from civilization?

"Pam, go find a place where we can get reception and call Chow and Clancy to drive out here and pick us up. Tell them to bring more silver for Andre. We're going home. I want Sookie to awaken in my home, where I know she will feel safe. Plus, I want the joy of having Andre in my dungeon until she does.

**Two nights later…**

I am in the dungeon, playing with Andre once more, eyeing the freshly turned dirt floor in the corner. Two things are going to happen tonight. One - Andre will finally die his true death, the one he has been begging for during the last two nights of torture, and two- Sookie will rise and take her place in the vampire world. I am listening for any sound that would signify that she is waking, watching for any movement of the ground over her. I am ready to dig her out of her shallow grave and welcome her into my arms once more, but first, I have a pest problem to eradicate once and for all.

I wheel the tray of instruments over to the silver coated table Andre is chained to, ready to once again flay the skin off of his body inch by inch. I have done this both nights so far, listening to his tortured screams echoing around the soundproof chamber. The first morning after we got home, I brought in an anemic fangbanger with a true death wish to feed him, knowing that the iron-deficient blood coursing through her veins would do little in the way of healing, slowing the process considerably, forcing him to lay on the burning silver table all day with no protection for his bleeding muscles.

_While I was peeling his skin away on the second night, I decided to delve into his twisted little mind. I started to interrogate him, wanting to know what had prompted both his defection from Sophie-Anne and his desire to acquire my bonded. Apparently Sophie-Anne was interested too, since she showed up unannounced. At first he denied any and all of our allegations, or at least he tried to, until the Queen brought out a jar filled with formaldehyde and a certain kings' head. (Hmmm… who knew that formaldehyde worked on vamp bodies too?)_

_Andre's eyes widened, fear flooding throughout his body, and he began to talk. He divulged how he felt she had never truly respected him or his needs. He also said that she had never given him a chance to prove that he could be more to her than just her child and a plaything. I think that he might have actually hurt her feelings, because she attempted to yank out his tongue with that comment._

"_You stupid, ignorant, little man! I gave you everything you could ever want! You had power and you had my heart. Andre, I loved you, more than I ever loved anyone else, and this was how you chose to repay my love? By aligning yourself with a vampire king who was intent on killing me, only to give you nothing more than an empty promise of pseudo-power to fuel your path. This was by far the stupidest move you have ever made. Did you ever stop to think that he would kill you too, once he had gotten what he wanted? He would've known what you are capable of. You had already turned on your queen, your own maker and lover, for nothing more than a song and dance. He would never feel safe with you in his state. You would've been dead as soon as I was," she screeched at him._

"_No, he promised me that he wouldn't kill me. He promised, he wouldn't do that to me," he whimpered back, but I could see the truth in his eyes. He knew, or at least he did now, that she was speaking the truth._

_She reached out and caressed his skinless cheek for a second before she jumped up and twisted his head, listening to every one of his vertebrae snap painfully in a move that would have killed any human, but only rendering him unconscious, effectively ending my round of torture for the rest of the night._

"_Get whatever it is that you want out of him and then finish him Eric. He is already dead to me, but I want it to be final. Send me his ashes as proof." I watched as a defeated and heartbroken Sophie-Anne, Queen of Louisiana walked out of my house, leaving a large part of her heart behind in my dungeon. _

He sees the tray roll into view and groans, effectively bringing me back into the present.

"Tonight, as a special treat, I have asked Pamela to come down and help us out. I want you to see how much my child and I love each other, and to know that she would protect me with her very life, not sell me out to the highest bidder. I want to watch as she fucks with your body and your mind as she slowly orchestrates your final death. You will never see your child rise from the ground, though I do think that I might just have to thank you for that anyways." I pause, looking in his direction, noting the surprise in his eyes as Pam steps up close to his side.

She runs one of her hands over his nearly naked flesh, her eyes shooting me an appreciative glance for keeping his underwear on him, and stops at the stump of his left shoulder. She then drags the nails of one hand over his chest, leaving red stripes from one shoulder to the other, as she uses her other hand to reach for the tray full of gleaming surgical instruments. She begins to caress his remaining arm with a scalpel, breaking the skin, causing him to bleed once more, but causing no other damage to him yet.

"Yes, you heard me right… I owe you my gratitude for turning Sookie. I know that she was worried about me turning her and becoming her master. She was worried that our relationship would not last if she was my child, as so few of us ever stay with our creators for very long." I start to saunter in front of him, never taking my eyes off of his. "In fact, yours and Sophie-Anne relationship is a bit of an anomaly, is it not? This way, Sookie and I stand a better chance of staying together than if I had been the one to turn her. Not to mention the fact that Sookie would hate it if I had that kind of control over her. We had already talked about that and dismissed the idea. Just as we decided that she would not like Pam having that control over her either. She was afraid that I would still be able to control her through my own child if I chose to." I stop pacing and turn to face him once more, watching as Pam continues to play with his flesh. "So, you see you might have actually done me a favor of sorts."

"But don't worry," I said to him, forcing my voice to take on a mockingly comforting tone, "you won't have to go through the pain of having your child reject you as you rejected your own maker. I will make sure that you meet your true death before she even breaks the surface of her shallow grave. I will be the one to teach her our ways, and I will be the one to hold her each and every night, not you."

Pam is still cutting him, timing her strokes with the cadence of my voice. I watch as she slides the scalpel under his skin, separating it from the muscle underneath once more. She is enjoying this, and who am I to stop her from having some fun? I ask him once more why he chose my Sookie, not really expecting an answer since he has yet to offer one, no matter how persuasive I have been in my questioning. Therefore, it is a surprise when he blurts out his response.

"It's your fault, Northman. You stole my woman, it's only right that I took yours. You have never been this attached to any human before, so I knew that this was my one chance to get back at you for stealing my Greta!" he bellowed angrily, looking into my eyes and waiting to see my reaction.

"Greta? Who the fuck is Greta?" I ask him, wondering if the torture has finally cracked his already fragile mind.

"I know you know who she is, you took her away from me, just because you wanted a new plaything for a while. You couldn't stand knowing that someone preferred me to you, so you had to glamour her into your bed. Then you made her say all of those disgusting things to me, telling me that I wasn't as good as you. I couldn't believe just how pathetic you were, stooping to glamouring women," he answers me in a condescending tone of voice.

"I have no clue who you are talking about, but I can assure you that I have never needed to glamour a woman into my bed." I have to laugh at the absurdity of it, adding, "Though I have had to glamour more than a few out of it."

I turn to walk out of the dungeon so Pam can have a bit more fun. I know that I will still be able to hear everything that happens at my desk just outside the door in the hallway. I make my next comment offhandedly, throwing the words over my shoulder as I walk away from him, "Pamela, won't you please continue to entertain our guest? I have some business matters to attend to."

Just before I leave the room I hear a faint rustling, an almost silent sound only detectable because of my enhanced hearing. I turn towards the grave in the far corner of the dungeon, my eyes seeking out the fresh mound of dirt. I vaguely notice that two other sets of eyes are watching it as well. I can see the ground begin to twitch, and without a second thought, I fly to Andre's supine form and plunge a stake through his heart. I don't want him to see my lover emerge, he doesn't deserve to be there. I watch in satisfaction as his eyes widen in surprise then grow glassy and dull as death finally lays claim to his body, having taken his soul many years before. I see his flesh fall apart, breaking down into a pile of dust and ashes, until all that remained was a human-shaped mound (minus an arm) clad only in Andre's underwear.

At the same time as his body is disintegrating, Sookie's body is coming back to life. I leap over to the mound of now writhing dirt and begin to dig, feeling the moisture of the dirt as I throw each handful away from me. Suddenly I can see flesh and I reach down, grabbing onto it. It is her hand, attempting to dig herself free of this grave. I pull, freeing her from the dirt, and pull a very disoriented (and naked) Sookie from the ground. I pull her into my waiting arms, wrapping her in my loving embrace.

"Eric, what is going on?" she asks breathlessly, grasping me tighter in her confusion. "Why was I buried in there?"

"Because that's what needed to happen for you to change, my Love. Do you remember what happened to you?" I ask, hoping that I do not have to explain everything to her.

"I remember being kidnapped by Debbie and one of her Were-rat friends, then being driven to some po-dunk backwoods clearing where I was delivered to that fuckwad Andre…" Her eyes shot up to mine. The sheer panic emanating from her beautiful face as her brow furrows, "Oh my God, Eric, he drained me, then forced me to drink from him. I remember dying, so how come…" She takes a deep and now unnecessary breath, as the knowledge that she is undead seeps into her conscious mind. Her hand travels up to her mouth, her fingers feeling for the new sharpness of her fangs. Yet another breath is sucked in as she encounters them, and I can see the bloody tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

"Shush Sookie, everything will be alright. We are together, and we will be that way now and forever." I tell her as I crush her to my chest.

I hold her as she sobs, her chest heaving as she mourns the ending of her mortal existence. I wait until her sobs subside, then lift her face up so that I can look into her eyes. "Sookie, you might think that your human life is over, but it means only that your heart has stopped beating, not that it doesn't work anymore. Everyone you love is still here, and though it may be hard at first, I will be holding your hand through it all."

Without any warning, I feel my head and chest tighten and then expand exponentially. I fall to my knees from the intensity of the feeling, and dimly notice that Sookie has done the same thing. Suddenly, I can feel her again, only this time I feel like I have crawled inside her body and her mind. I can hear her thoughts, and I can tell by the look on her face that she can hear mine as well. Without having to think too hard, I know that our bond has been reaffirmed, without the need for a blood exchange. I can only guess that it is because of our love for each other, or because of her Faery lineage, or maybe a combination of the two, but whatever the reason, I am glad to have my heart back in one piece again.

I close the slight gap between our bodies, smashing my mouth to hers, claiming her in a way that only I can. She is my wife, my lover, and now, she is my immortal bonded. I hold her close as I continue to ravage her mouth, my hands reacquainting themselves with her body. When I pull my mouth away to trail kisses over her jaw line, she whispers into my ear the words the will chain me to her side from here to eternity.

"This is only the beginning of forever for us, Eric."

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **I chose to use Andre as her maker for the simple fact that I cannot imagine, nor would I condone, any one man having such control over her life, even if he would only be doing what he thought was best for her. I chose not to use Pam for the very same reason. Both of these reasons were alluded to in this chapter. But don't worry; these two will have their HEA, even if I don't write it. They deserve it.

Also, a great big thank you is needed for my Beta Misticbutterfly, and for my idea girl, Jeri, as well.

**While this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are always appreciated.**


	17. Bonus Chapter 16

_*****WARNING*****_

_**This chapter contains light BDSM themes and is not essential to the storyline. If this kind of thing is not your cup of tea, please feel free to bypass this chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is still the Queen of the Southern Vampire Mysteries chess board, but I couldn't help messing with a few of her pawns.**_

***0*0*0*0***

**SPOV**

"Of course it will be the beginning of our _own_ forever, but before we start it, how about we get you cleaned up?" Eric says, lifting his eyebrow and giving my ass cheek a lustful squeeze.

"Why Eric, I do declare…" I breathe out huskily, channeling my inner Scarlet, "I think you might be having some wholly inappropriate thoughts regarding little ole me."

"Trust me Sookie, nothing I'm thinking of is inappropriate for me to do to my wife," he leers, running his hand up the side of my dirt covered stomach, stopping just short of cupping my breast.

_Hmmm… now that I'm a vampire, I won't ever have to worry about sagging breasts. Nice._

_Very funny Lover, I heard that. _

_Damn, I forgot about that with everything else going on._

Eric's boisterous laughter rings across the now empty chamber, echoing off the walls and filling the gloomy room with his mirth.

"Um, Eric, where are we?" I ask him as I look around me, having never seen this room before. The floor is nothing more than packed dirt, except where I had just crawled out of, and its walls looked to be made of solid rock. And they were thick too, by the look of things. It was empty, besides the two of us. "And now that I think about it, where did Pam head off to? I thought I saw her here just a minute ago."

I can see the apprehension in his eyes as he tries to decide the best way to answer me. "Just tell me the truth, Eric. I don't want any lies from you now."

"We're in my dungeon," he states bluntly.

_His dungeon, seriously? Well, I did ask for honesty_.

"Your dungeon? You actually own a dungeon? I mean really, I know that's how it was done years ago, but here, now?" I am appalled, horrified… and strangely turned on as I turn in circles, taking note of all of the chains and torture devices in the room. I focus on a set of three chains secured to a wall, a set that is obviously used to bind both hands and collar the occupants. The handcuffs are fixed around normal waist level, while the collar is affixed near the floor, making movement from a kneeling position nearly impossible. Suddenly the room is filled with the scent of my arousal, which I can feel trickling down my naked thighs. I watch as Eric's nostrils flare minutely, inhaling my changing scent.

"Oh Sookie, you are a dirty, dirty little vampire, aren't you?"

"Oh Yes Eric, I think I might just be… do you think you might be able to help me?" I simper, swaying my hips more than usual as I make my way to the chains.

Quicker than I can see, even with my newly enhanced vision, Eric speeds over to me and pushes me up against the wall. Using nothing more than his muscular knee and thigh, he separates my legs until they are shoulders width apart. "Stay," he growls just behind my ears, and I can feel just how slippery my pussy is becoming. He reaches over and grasps my wrists, wrapping them in something soft before he snaps the silver cuffs around them. I feel him grind his ever-ready erection into my lower back, though it is still sadly encased inside his ass hugging jeans, and my nipples rub against the rough surface of the uneven rock wall. I cry out, more in arousal than in pain, as my nipples harden even more and increase the amount of friction. He then reaches up and caresses my check and my jaw, and I notice that he is wearing a pair of leather gloves. I give a yank with my arms, and am surprised to feel that they feel very weak, hardly able to move.

"That's right Sookie; you must remember that even the tiniest amount of silver can be used to harm a vampire. I have wrapped your wrists with a thick silk brocade to make sure that the silver does not burn your skin, but you will still feel its power over our kind. But don't worry, Lover; you will enjoy what will happen to you in this dungeon tonight. I will pleasantly torture and tease your body until you scream my name over and over again. By the time we are finished in here, I will need to carry you out." I look up into his eyes and notice that they have darkened to almost midnight in color, hooded with passion and something else more than a little sinister.

As he is saying this, he places one hand between my shoulder blades and presses gently. "Bend from the waist Sookie," he commands quietly and I obey, scooting backwards just a bit to do as I have been told. I know that if I was still human, I would be blushing everywhere, but _damn_, if this isn't the hottest thing we've ever done. He reaches in front of me and picks up the collar off the floor, wraps more of the fabric around my throat, and snaps it in place. Now there is now way that I could stand up straight, even if I wanted to.

"Oh Sookie," he growls from deep within his chest, "I want you so bad right now, but first I need to help you clean up. You're so… dirty. Stay just like that, and I'll be back in a minute." And with that, he zips out of the room.

"Eric!" I scream out, knowing that he can hear me, "you can't leave me down here like this! I'm your wife!" I hear his deep chuckle sounding somewhere above me just as I hear the sound of water rushing through pipes.

The ticking of a clock somewhere in the house, resonating just above me; I concentrate on that, counting each tick to see how long he leaves me down here alone. I look over my shoulder and I'm struck by my position. My hands are chained to the wall, my palms grasping the rough rocks, while my ass is sticking out. I can feel my juices beginning to trickle down my thighs and the sensation only serves to make me wetter while I wait for my husband to return to me.

Less than three minutes pass when I hear Eric coming back down the stairs once more.

"Good girl, you stayed in your position." He steps behind me and runs his now naked fingers over the globes of my ass. I moan and shift my hips to follow his movement, causing a delicious amount of friction between my swollen pussy lips. Without any warning, I feel a sharp slap across my right ass cheek.

"Ow, what the fuck was that for?" I yell over my shoulder at him. He brings his hand down quickly again, on the other cheek this time.

"The first one was for moving after I told you to stay, and the second was for talking back to me."

"I'm not one of those crazy bitches who likes to get hit, Eric, you aren't the boss of me." Oops, wrong thing to say.

_Slap!_

The sound echoes off of the walls.

"Down here, _I am_ the boss," he says calmly, gently rubbing my sore ass, the palm of his hand soothing the pain, and I can feel the stirrings of an all consuming fire building inside my core. "When we are down here, you will follow every command I give you, I will be your master in this room. I will not ask you to submit to me like this anywhere else, but this dungeon is mine, is that clear?"

"Yes," I answer him.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good girl. Now…" he starts to say something as his fingers make their way down towards my center. I feel him slip first one, then two fingers into my slit, sliding them past my opening and up to circle my clit. "My my Sookie, I would have to say that I think you like this little game. You are literally dripping with your excitement."

"Mmm-hmmm," I groan out, enraptured by every stroke of his magical fingers.

"I'll let that one slide, since you don't know all of the rules down here yet. Would you like me to teach them to you Sookie? Do you want to play in my dungeon with me?" I nod my agreement, because let's face it, this is FUCKING HOT!

"Use your words Sookie, I won't allow any nonverbal communication down here. I want to hear your voice." He punctuates each pause in his speech by shoving his fingers into my aching pussy. "You may speak to me now. Do you want me to teach you all of the rules for the dungeon."

"God Yes!" I scream out, focusing more on his fingers pumping in and out of me than on any words coming out of my mouth.

_Slap!_

"Try again." His patient voice sounds as if he's trying to teach a child to tie their shoes, not finger fuck me to death. My mind races, searching for the right answer, finally finding it.

"Yes Master," I pant, feeling my climax building.

"Good Girl, now cum for me." His fingers curve slightly, hitting my sweet spot over and over until I scream his name incoherently. I feel my knees giving out as he removes his hand from between my legs. Suddenly there is a support of some sort under my stomach, holding my hips up for me. I allow my body to sag over it and reenergize. It is while I am concentrating on the rise and fall of my chest, wondering why I feel the need to breathe now that it is unnecessary, that I feel the water dripping over my back. Warm water, rapidly cooling as it traverses my curves, turning almost frigid as it accumulates and drips off my still distended nipples. I moan at the sensation, arching my back to change the flow of the droplets.

_Slap! _

_Shit, I think my ass might actually be on fire! He's definitely not holding back on me. It makes me wonder if some of this is repressed anger from before we bonded and all the trouble I caused him back then. _

_Slap! Slap!_

"I believe I told you not to move, didn't I? I also believe that I made myself clear about nonverbal communication down here was not acceptable."

"Yes Master, I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven. Now, keep still," he orders. "You can do that, can't you?" he says sarcastically, and I can just imagine the cocky sneer on his face.

"I think so, Master," I reply in what I hope is my 'sexy' voice.

"Good girl," he growls back. _God, I'm already dripping again!_

I feel the warmth of the sponge across my shoulders as he gently drags it across my skin. He removes it and I hear a small splashing sound before I feel the sponge again on my lower back this time. I can't help but moan as Eric scrubs the dirt from my body. Another splash and he starts in on my legs, moving up my right ankle and swirling the sponge up and stopping at the dip behind my knee. Another splash and he rubs it up the back of my thigh, wrapping around to cleanse the front as well, but never touching where I want him to. Another splash and he starts in on my left leg, following the same pattern and once again avoiding my most sensitive bits. I want to groan, but I really don't want him to spank me again. That shit hurts, even if it does turn me on.

I feel his denim clad crotch lean into my backside as he dips the sponge into the water once more. This time he leans over me from behind and wraps his arm around me to wash my stomach and chest. Figuring that he will ignore my breasts just like he did my pussy, I can't help but to suck in a ragged breath when he uses the edge of the sponge to tease my already hardened nipples. Around and around he twirls the sponge on my right nipple as he brings his free hand to my left breast, kneading the firmness of my hanging mound. I try to remain motionless as he grinds into my sensitive flesh from behind while he attends to cleaning me. When he finally stands up, I groan at the loss of his body against mine.

"I think you did exceptionally well there Lover, aside from a few unintentional twitches, you were able to stay still as I commanded. I think you deserve a reward." I hear the soft swooshing sound of his shirt sliding over his body before hitting the floor, and the rapid descending of his zipper I closely followed by the rougher sound of his jeans falling down his legs. "Do you want me to fuck you, Lover?"

"Yes, Oh God Eric, Yes, please!" I beg him as he trails his hand across my ass cheeks one more time.

Without preamble, he slams into me from behind. The flesh of my stomach rubs roughly against whatever it is that he slid underneath me for support, not enough to hurt me, but enough to add yet another sensation into the mix. The feeling of his balls slapping rhythmically against my clit is almost enough to send me over the edge, but every time he feels my walls start to clench around his cock, he pulls out and spanks my ass.

"Eric, please!" I scream out, every single sense on overload right now. My body feels like its burning; the nerve endings are firing at random, causing my muscles to twitch.

"I told you that I am Master down here, I will be the one to decide when and if you'll cum, not you," he says from behind me, right before he slams his amazing hardness into me once again.

The sounds he makes as he pushes himself closer to climax while holding me off are more than erotic. I listen as he grunts and groans with every push and withdrawal of his cock from my drenched pussy. I am almost enthralled by the messy sounds of our slightly violent fucking, but nothing, and I mean nothing beats the sound of his balls slapping me with every thrust my husband makes.

Suddenly Eric reaches up and grabs my hair, forcing my head up and back and it makes me dip my back to accommodate this new position. Doing so means that his cock is now thrusting right into my g-spot, rubbing head ridge with the tip of his cock, and I can't hold off any longer.

"That's right, Lover, cum for me now!" he bellows into the already passion heavy air.

I feel my body breaking apart, shattering into a million little pieces and flinging themselves out into space, only to be brought back together into a completely limb and decidedly noodle like shell of a body.

Eric slams into me one last time before he spills into me, roaring his conquest into the ceiling above us, before his body crashes over my naked back. We lay here like this for a few minutes, each of us silently gathering up the required strength to move once more. Finally Eric stands up and removes his softening cock from inside me. The sensation sends a climatic aftershock, causing me to shiver with delight. I hear Eric chuckling as he reaches up and unlocks the collar around my neck.

"Did you enjoy that, lovely wife of mine?"

"Oh my God, Eric, yes! What the hell was that? And more importantly, can we do it again, _soon_?" I say breathlessly.

He picks up my left wrist, unfastens the cuff and kisses my wrist before repeating the motion on my right wrist. Once I am free, Eric helps me to stand upright, though he can tell that my legs are still more than a little weak.

"Are you hungry Sookie?" he asks politely once he has gathered me in his arms, carrying me up the stairs.

"Well, I wasn't until you just mentioned it, but now my throat is burning."

"Then let's get some blood into you and then I will take you upstairs," he says as he walks to the fridge and grabs a couple of bottles of True Blood. He holds them in one hand while still carrying me towards his bedroom suite. "Mrs. Northman, you need a shower. You are such a dirty girl!"

With a wink and a smirk from him, I know that I will be getting a lot dirtier tonight before I even have a chance to get clean. But let's be honest here, who wouldn't want to get all dirty with my husband, Eric Northman, Sheriff of Louisiana's Area 5?

***0*0*0*0***

**a/n: **I have decided that I will not be writing a sequel for this as of now. I simply cannot. I don't like Sookie as a vamp, and therefore it would not be a labor of love to do so, merely a labor. I know that many of you have asked that I continue it, and I can assure you that I will continue writing, just not for this story. Please see my profile for any new stories I am currently working on.

**Yes, this is going to be a bit of a wordy farewell.** Please bear with me; I have a lot of wonderful people to thank. I you don't want to read it, I understand, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

**Pimpin':** I'm taking this time to pimp my bitch'n beta's fanfic- _**Summer Fling**_ by **Misticbutterfly**; IT ROCKS! It's an Edward/Bella human pairing TwiFic, it is an absolutely beautiful love story, and oh so smutty for us dirty smut-whores on FF. Hon, thank you so much for working so hard on TSP and TBoF with me, I really am glad to have found you, and to have made such a wonderful friend in the process.

I just want to say that I have met some very wonderful people while writing this story. Jeri is one of those people. She is the reason that this story turned out the way that it did. I was adamant about there being an E/S/P threesome, and she reminded me that while the concept was intriguing, our Eric would never share the love of his existence with anyone, even Pam. Thank you for helping me to keep my characters true, even when I would have bent them for my own amusement. The story really is better for it.

Angie, my Angie, you will always be my Bitch. Thanks for introducing me to FF. I HEART YOU! Thank you.

And last but certainly not least, to my readers: Thank you for each and every review you have left over the course of this story. They were all appreciated, and they really did help me to push forward. I sincerely hope that you have all enjoyed the ride, as I have had a blast writing it and reading your wonderful feedback. And for those of you who read this but didn't review, I hope that you enjoyed the story, and will at least recommend it to someone else. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Also, I currently do Beta work for three amazing authors, Team Jane, Tracee40 and svmfan1. If you have not read their stories, please take a moment to check them out.

~Sassy

**And as always, while this is a completed story, please remember that reviews are appreciated.**


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